Dragon Ball C
by LadyPimpin
Summary: She wasn't exactly useful. She wasn't powerful. She trained as hard as she could with Piccolo, but she couldn't prove herself in battle. Still, she tries her best to make them all see her for what she tries to be. A hero.
1. Chapter 1 - The Beginning

It had been a day since Raditz arrived, and a day since Raditz had died. The Saiyan warrior had proclaimed to be Son Goku's brother, loudly announcing his, and his partners' intentions to wipe out all life on Earth. He explained it was their job; they were assigned to planets so they could sell them to a potential client, provided they exterminate the current inhabitants. And it was then, that the large alien man abducted Goku's son, Gohan, to twist his own brother's arm into helping him destroy everything that the martial artist had known. The planet that was his home, and the people he loved were all put at stake in that one moment.

As for Piccolo, the Great Demon King that had his sights set on conquering the sorry excuse for a planet, that proposition was unacceptable. His prior interaction with the warrior Raditz left a bad taste in his mouth, and he knew that he, alone, was unable to match him in battle. Surely, he thought, the same would apply for Goku. If he wanted to rule over this miserable rock, Raditz would have to be dealt with. The only way to do that, he resolved, was to team up with his hated rival.

True to his word, the Saiyan was intensely strong, and even together Piccolo and Goku had an immense amount of trouble attempting to fight him. Piccolo had lost his arm in the struggle, and with their energy, and Ki dwindling, they needed a new plan. The great demon had been perfecting a new attack, dubbing it the Special Beam Cannon.

The problem was that he needed time to charge it, and Raditz wouldn't wait for that. Goku took it upon himself to distract the Saiyan, and once Piccolo had prepared his trump card, he let victory slip through their grasp. Raditz had tricked his brother into believing he would join their side, and once Goku had let up, he turned on him. Once more, Piccolo had to gather the necessary energy to perform the Special Beam Cannon, but Raditz would not stay in one place.

Gohan, who had been kept locked away in Raditz's ship, burst forth suddenly, rage etched deep into his face. He was only a child, and yet the power Piccolo felt in this moment was immense. The boy launched himself for his uncle, his head meeting the center of his chest like a bullet. Then, with this opportunity, Goku gripped his dazed brother around his shoulders, holding him in place long enough for Piccolo to launch his beam of energy, impaling the brothers in one swift motion.

Raditz fell, but so did Goku, and Piccolo felt it was a hollow victory. So, he decided, to prepare for the other two Saiyans that were coming to Earth, he would train his arch enemy's son to fight them. He could sense the immense Ki within the child, though he didn't think training a crybaby would come easy. Piccolo took Gohan to a wasteland, hidden from the city, to begin his training.

"Your training starts with learning to survive on your own!" Piccolo announced, looming over the toddler like a great giant. "I will leave you here for six months, and in that time I expect results. If you haven't died, I will then train you in combat personally."

"B-But I'm scared!" The child stammered his reply. "I want my Daddy!"

"Your father is dead, and I killed him."

Gohan started to cry, and Piccolo reached his arms out to the boy, startling him out of his grief. "Don't you start," he demanded, "don't you know about the Dragon Balls?! He'll be brought back to life in no time, but we don't have time to waste! You only have a year before the other Saiyans arrive, so get better quickly!" The boy didn't have the strength to argue with him, so he watched as Piccolo took off into the air, flying just out of sight. He intended to keep an eye on him through his six month survival training, after all, the kid wouldn't be any use if he was dead. Then, he felt it. A twinge in the back of his mind, a sudden sensation within him. There was another source of Ki nearby, and it could mean trouble for the both of them if left unchecked.

-  
A/N: I'm so sorry if the first chapter seems a bit short, I'm still trying to get the hang of this. I haven't seriously written anything in a few years, so if I can do anything to improve this, or the next chapter then please let me know. I hope to update this regularly, as a kind of AU retelling of the Z Sagas. And, thank you so much for reading.


	2. Chapter 2 - Meeting Her

The demon lord zoomed through the air, attempting to ignore the drag produced from his cape tugging backward in the wind. As he soared, he felt himself draw closer to the source of this power. It was small, but it still caught his attention. If he didn't confirm this to not be a threat, then the worry for Gohan would plague him. Suddenly, he felt himself stop. 'Worry for Gohan,' he pondered. 'Impossible!' He gritted his teeth against the ridiculous thought, and just as he was going to leave the matter be, he spotted something - no, someone - trekking through the wasteland. Their arms were filled with bags, and as Piccolo's eyes scanned the area, he could see some kind of vehicle that had crashed not far back. The figure's movements were labored and slow; they seemed exhausted from the ordeal they had suffered. He felt a brow rise, involuntarily showing his confusion with the scene before him.

The figure drew closer to the area he had left Goku's son, and he could not wait any longer. He descended to their level, landing beside the stranger, getting a good look at them. They were small, about the size of the bald one, he figured, as they only came up to just below his waistline. Their hair was long, ending around their rear end, and a blazing red color. As they turned up to look at him, he saw their feminine facial features, and wide blue eyes. He had concluded her to be a woman, and he almost felt his chest swell in pride when he saw her recoil from him, startled and perhaps afraid of the giant green man that had appeared beside her.

Piccolo felt himself scoff, and he waved his hand dismissively before he tucked his arms across his chest, giving off an air of propriety as well as a suffocating aura of oppression. "Don't be afraid. If I were going to kill you, I would have already."

"What do you want from me?" Her voice was wavering, dripping with fear for her life. He couldn't help but enjoy every moment. A smug grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he fought to suppress it. "You are in a very dangerous place. If you stay here, you could die."

"But I live out here. You can't keep me out of my own house!"

"Would you rather you continue and end up a beaten corpse!?"

Piccolo saw her stop, thinking about what he said. He watched her as she ran his words over in her head. Did she not believe him? How insulting, he thought, I speak only the truth. Of course, she had no way of knowing. She had only just met him, after all. "So," she finally asked, "what do I do? I have nowhere else to go."

"Why are you asking me? I'm not your keeper."

"Well, you seem to know what you're talking about. I never expected someone else to be here, and if it's so dangerous then I'm at a loss."

The demon king thought about the Ki he felt come from her, and closed his eyes, focusing on reading it. These levels of Ki were surely impressive for a mere human, and an untrained one at that. Maybe she could be of use to him. He opened his eyes, scowling down at the girl for a moment or two. "How would you like to be trained, then?"

"Trained? For what? I don't even know you, and you're offering to train me?"

"Think of it as a brief offer of charity, one that I shall not extend again. If you are untrained, then in a year you will end up dead along with your pathetic planet Earth. Live or die, it's your choice."

The girl pondered this offer for a moment. It's true, she didn't want to die, but what reason did she have to believe this strange, green man? The more she looked at him, the more confused and hesitant she became. "No thanks," she responded after a moment, "I'll take my chances." Piccolo seemed to take offense to her answer, his muscles tensing and his expression growing even more sour. She began walking once again, the bags of food and supplies briefly slipping from her arms. She struggled to regain her stance, Piccolo watching her all the while. He dared to suppose that this spectacle was somewhat amusing, watching this girl struggle with such a load on her own. In his attention, he didn't realize he had begun to follow her. He was snapped out of his thoughts when she spoke again. "What's your name?"

"…I am the Great Demon King Piccolo. You have not heard of me?"

"No, should I have?"

"My father had conquered the world many years ago! He was slain by Son Goku, and I have devoted my life to enacting my revenge!"

The girl paused, simply listening to his brief tirade before she replied. "I'm Cherri. I live out in this wasteland because I don't like people all that much."

"Why have you told me this?"

"I figured you should know about me since you told me about yourself."

Piccolo paused, glowering down at her. "I don't need your pity," he roared before he took off into the air, kicking up sand and dust into the poor girl's face. She coughed and sputtered, and when she looked up, he had disappeared. She continued her journey home, alone, unaware of the struggles of Gohan or the watchful eye of the Great Demon King.

A/N: I couldn't help myself, I apologize if two chapters in one day is moving too fast, but I just can't stop writing. I really hope you all enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3 - Resolve

Cherri threw her bags onto her kitchen table, sweat clinging to her hair and brow. Slugging across the wasteland on her own had taken a lot out of her, though she was glad to be home. Her small, light-blue house was quaint, providing her everything she needed without being too much. However, the unbearable heat reduced her great garden to nothing but poor, wilted shrubs. This had forced her to go into the nearby city, driving through the desert between her haven and civilization for the necessities of living. She began to restock her refrigerator, but she found herself plagued by thoughts of the so-called demon she had met a few hours prior. Why was he so forceful with the way he carried himself, and why did he claim to be king? Wasn't King Furry supposed to be king? Did something happen without her knowledge? The cold air flowing from her open appliance hit her face, shaking her back to her senses as she heard a tapping on her window.

Cherri saw a frightened little boy outside, pounding his fist on the glass in a desperate attempt to get in. Just before she could head over to help him, however, the glass shattered under his flailing, and he clamored into her living room. He was shaking and whimpering, pressing his back against her wall in some attempt to comfort himself. But what she found most peculiar about him was on his posterior. The boy had a tail. She paused herself, staring at the frightened child with wide eyes, and everything was quiet. She took a step toward him, hand outreached to attempt to comfort him. The boy whimpered, hugging his knees close to his small body, and tears welled in his eyes. Cherri stopped, nodding and kneeling down to his level, just looking at him from across the room.

"What's your name?" The boy put his finger up to his mouth, shushing her just as the ground shook with a loud thudding noise, then another, as they grew closer and faster with each thud. The young woman fell on her backside, startled, and threw her hand over her mouth in an attempt to keep quiet. The source of the thundering noises stopped just outside her house, a giant reptilian eye peering inside for a brief moment. Cherri ducked behind her kitchen counter just in time, and she felt her heart jump into her throat when she heard a deafening roar. The sound was enough to shake the very foundation of the house. The girl cowered and clutched her chest, her heart threatening to pound its way through her ribs. Soon after, the thundering steps of the beast began again, pacing around the home before disappearing into the distance. Then, she heard a small noise.

"M-My name's Gohan," stammered the boy as he stared at the floor in an attempt to get his bearings. "What's yours?"

"I'm Cherri. Where'd you come from?"

"I was brought here by Mister Piccolo so I can train.."

"Is he a big, scary green man?"

"You've met him?"

"Something like that," she responded, rubbing her head in confusion. She never asked for any of this. "How old are you?"

"I'm four years old."

"What kind of a mentor leaves a four-year-old kid out by himself?!" She felt herself grow hot with anger, and she stood up to look at Gohan. "He means well, I think," he replied, "so I'm going to try my best." The boy stood up, balling his hand into a fist and looking up at the woman with a determination she had never seen before. "I'm going to do my best for my Daddy."

Cherri blinked, processing his words. Could there really be credence to what that man called Piccolo had told her? She suddenly felt that, through this child's innocent determination, she knew for a fact that something was going on. And if she could survive, and help the people willing to protect her entire planet, then she felt like she had no other choice. She swallowed her doubt, her confusion, all her negative thoughts, and turned to face her front door as the boy exited. She would have to find that strange green demon again, and tell him she would have to accept his offer. She only hoped he wouldn't force her to survive outside her home on her own for six months.

The girl left her home, retracing her steps back to where she remembered meeting Piccolo. Or, what she thought was the place she met him. Everywhere seemed to look the same, the trees all alike and standing in nondescript rows, their canopies casting a shadow over the trails beneath them, and it was without much surprise she ended up getting lost. The girl called out for Piccolo, but he was nowhere to be found. Minutes ticked into hours, and she began to doubt if she would see him again. Just as she started to give up and turn for home, she saw something unpleasantly familiar. The dinosaur that had followed Gohan to her home had found her. Now she could see its full form, its thick muscled legs ending in huge claws digging into the ground in front of her. Its mouth was wide and ringed with sharp, dagger-like fangs, strands of drool suspended from one jaw to the other as the creature opened its mouth, releasing the foul stench of rotting meat that lingered in its breath. It towered over her, almost glowering down at its prey. Time seemed to slow to a halt as Cherri faced what was almost certain death. With a low growl turned into a ferocious roar, the animal took off for her. The girl turned on her heel, putting her all into running for her life and going as fast as she could.

The predator stomping for her grew closer and closer, and as time wore on the girl found that her energy was dropping. She couldn't keep this pace for much longer, and if she stopped then she surely would be dead. Cherri needed something, and she needed it fast. The woman wracked her brain trying to think, but the burning in her lungs and the sweat in her eyes distracted her somewhat. Suddenly, she saw that she was running herself into a corner. She had managed to funnel herself into a rock formation, and the stone was surrounding her on all sides. There was barely any space for her to move by the time she had stopped. She was trapped here. She turned to face her death, ready to stare the dinosaur defiantly in the face. But the creature could not squeeze between the mountainous prison the way the girl could, and it was left just out of reach. It roared angrily at her, taking steps back launching itself forward, ramming into the mountain head-first. It reeled back, then charged again, each blow shaking the rocks and showering dust down on the girl. At last, it took a few steps back, then lunged at full speed. A resounding thud rang out, the dinosaur staggering backwards. Dazed and hurt, the monster fell to the ground, knocked unconscious.

Cherri gripped her chest, her limbs trembling and her senses flooded with adrenaline. Her breath was ragged and shaky, her eyes wide in disbelief. Had she really survived? It could have been regarded as a miracle. Time felt as though it slowed to a crawl, and the woman took in everything around her. The collapsed beast lay in a heap on the sand, the heaving of its sides revealing it to be still alive to her. Some part of her had hoped it had ended up ending its own life, though no such fortune found her. She was snapped out of her stupor by the rush of air at her side and the rock to her right suddenly falling apart, reduced to mere pebbles by the force that awaited her on the other side.

Piccolo stood triumphantly, his arms folded across his chest in a commanding and condescending way. He had barely worked up a sweat in knocking down an entire mountain. The woman stared up at him, fearing and admiring him all at once. She had never witnessed such immense, effortless strength. The demon lord felt himself smirk, thoroughly entertained with the foolishness of the girl, before he spoke to her.

"Well, you managed to survive one of the greatest dangers of the wasteland. You must be worth something, then. Have you reconsidered?"

"I...I think I have," she muttered her reply, never taking her eyes off of him. He landed in front of her, looming down to her level. Suddenly, Cherri realized just how large he was, standing almost two feet above her, and it was a very sobering revelation. "Then," he chuckled to her, "I suppose there is no point in telling you to survive if you live on your own out here. You will train with me, personally. Welcome to Hell."


	4. Chapter 4 - Training Begins

"Your training begins thusly," Piccolo stated, his gruff tone of voice catching the girl off guard. His next punch caught her even more by surprise, his fist impacting with her cheek and sending her crashing into the sand at his feet. His left foot jutted out to her, connecting with her vulnerable midsection in a violent blow. The air escaping her lungs was audible as her body buckled from the force of the strike, knocking her into the air, where she toppled onto her back.

"W-What is this for?" she stammered, attempting to block a rapid volley of punches from the self-proclaimed Demon Lord, the impact only serving to hurt her hands as she raised them to parry and forcing her backward.

"How can you expect to be an effective warrior if you can't stand up to an opponent?" Piccolo replied. "If I was really trying to kill you, a spineless fool like you would be dead in mere minutes!"

Not giving Cherri any window of opportunity with which to react, Piccolo turned, delivering a sharp, hard kick to the girl's side. She stumbled, her feet fumbling under her for any sort of traction in the loose sand. Piccolo advanced on her more and more, his blows becoming faster in his attempts to force her into action. She let out whimpers of fear and pain, attempting to defend herself with a punch for his abdomen, which only barely connected with him, lightly brushing against his side.

"Pathetic," he roared, swiping his hand across her face in a fierce slap, sending Cherri reeling to the ground. "I can feel the Ki within you," he growled, "and you don't release it?! Do you mock me?!"

"W-What? Ki? I don't know what Ki is, how am I supposed to use something I don't have or don't know about?!" Cherri stammered in response, her own frustration bubbling under her skin. She didn't know why she expected a Demon King to go easy on her, but she couldn't help but feel absolutely furious with him for not taking her limitations into account. It was clear that Piccolo was growing impatient with her as he bared his teeth in anger, and for the first time she caught a glimpse of his sharp fangs, the light glinting off their points. Maybe he really _was_ a demon, like he said prior.

"You come to me for training, and I shudder to think I showed you any sort of generosity when you fail to grasp the concept of Ki! It is so simple, so basic a toddler could understand it, yet you do not! How the fates curse me so!"

He stormed from side to side, pacing furiously in an attempt to keep himself from killing her on the spot. His breathing was sharp and hot, and he snorted much like an angry bull as he tried to curb his temper. His hands were balled so tightly into fists that his long, sharp claws caused a dribble of purple liquid to escape his fingers and land on the ground, painting the sand a morbid violet color. At long last, after what felt like hours, he stopped, looking down at his new pupil.

"Since you do not understand Ki, I must teach you how to feel it inside of you, and to do that, I must educate you on meditation. Sit on the ground and cross your legs, and do exactly as I tell you. I can only hope you do not waste my time further."

"A-All right," Cherri said, hesitating for a moment before she kneeled where Piccolo had indicated. She chewed the corner of her lip nervously, unsure what he was about to do or what this was supposed to teach her. All her life she had followed a simple enough routine, never really encountering anything exceptional, and this "Ki" thing was nothing she had ever even heard of before. How was she supposed to master something if she didn't know what it even was?

"Close your eyes," Piccolo said. He was watching her with his arms folded, not a muscle moving. "Now, focus. Concentrate on the energy around you, the energy within you."

The girl sat, closing her eyes as the green man's words echoed in her head. The energy within her? What was that even supposed to mean? She struggled to affect something, anything, or to even figure out what might put her on the right track, but she was hopelessly lost. Her brow furrowed in frustration, and her shoulders tensed.

Suddenly, she found herself interrupted as Piccolo's hand slapped the side of her cheek, knocking her out of her thoughts. "Ow!" she muttered, rubbing the side of her face in an attempt to ease the pain. "What was that for?"

"You're focusing too much on your own inability that you're distracting yourself," Piccolo said, a gruff note in his voice. "And I thought you were stupid before…"

"Hey!" the girl interjected, her face briefly going as red as her hair before a glare from Piccolo scared her into silence. Again, he spoke, briskly moving behind her to straighten her posture with his knee. "Try again," he commanded, "block out all other things but your own energy and feel it."

Once more, Cherri closed her eyes and took slow, calculated breaths. She focused simply on her breathing, taking in long strokes of air through her nose, and letting it out through her mouth. She felt her muscles relax, the soreness in her limbs almost melting away as she focused on simply nothing. The girl felt at ease, almost for the first time in her life. Then, she felt something. Something burning within her gut, and her chest; every part of her body seemed to be engulfed in this blazing heat. Startled, her eyes snapped open, and she felt sweat cling to her forehead and hair as she gulped and gasped for air, her hands rubbing down her own arms to try and calm herself.

"What was that...that burning feeling?!"

"That was your Ki. The innate energy in every living being, and you possess quite a bit of it. At least you proved to have some kind of intelligence in figuring out what to do. Now try again, and focus your energy into the palm of your hand."

The great green demon grabbed for her arm, extending it out in front of her and folding her palm so it would face out. "Once you do," he continued, "release it. You will be able to see it here as a blast."

Cherri nodded, letting her mentor guide her actions, closing her eyes and focusing once more. Almost instantly, she could feel this energy inside of her, and the energy in him. His Ki was intense, burning and ominous. It made her uneasy, her gut wrenching with her fear of him. Yet his grip on her arm was gentle, a far cry from the intense anger and violence she had felt before, and could feel now. She felt her brow furrow, tensing and focusing on collecting the Ki she felt in her palm. It gathered and gathered, when, out of nowhere, Piccolo wrenched himself away and knocked her into the ground with his elbow in one swift, sharp motion.

"What do you think you're doing!?" He snarled down at her, the pure rage in his face being the first thing to greet her newly opened eyes.

"I'm doing what you told me to! Why did you get so upset all of a sudden?!"

"I instructed you to concentrate on your own Ki, yet I felt mine begin to lessen! Where did you learn to sap Ki like that?!"

Cherri paused, her confusion growing the more he spoke. "I had no idea Ki even existed until you told me," she muttered to him, "how would I know how to take it from you?"

Piccolo froze, unable to stop the surprise from showing itself to her. Could he be witnessing a latent talent within the girl? Perhaps training her wouldn't prove to be a lost cause as he thought. If she learned to control this affinity for manipulating not only her own Ki, but the Ki of others, she could prove to be a valuable asset in his mission for world conquest. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Take a break," he commanded, "and gather yourself. We will try again soon."

Cherri panted, rolling back to a sitting position on the ground as she wiped her brow, trying to regain her breath. Piccolo, meanwhile, stood where he left, staring off into the distance. A short time passed before the girl, nervously, began to speak.

"So…" she said, "why are you so interested in me all of a sudden, anyway? And why Gohan..?"

"These are matters far deeper and more serious than you would be able to understand," Piccolo retorted, not even looking back over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Cherri responded, glaring. "You act like this is so important and yet you won't even tell me why you need me?"

Piccolo sighed, rubbing his head lightly. He knew that this would be a long story, and he didn't quite know where to begin. Nevertheless, their situation demanded it.

"Well, you've met Gohan, then. Surely you've noticed his..?"

"His tail, yes," Cherri said, nodding. "It's very strange…"

"Gohan is a member of an alien race known as the Saiyans. They are regarded as great warriors, possessing fighting potential far beyond that of any human. And that is potential I intend to bring out. He must learn to make himself useful."

"So you just abducted him from his home because he might be able to fight for you!?" Cherri raised her hands, as if prepared for matters to take a turn for the worst. Piccolo's response, no less the ease with which he could speak of it, left her aghast.

"It's not just that. The times demand it. There are others of his kind coming to Earth within a year, and if we do not prepare for them, we surely will all die."

Cherri fell silent. She had no idea that the entire world - her life, her family, her garden - were in such danger, no less that this was all going on just under her nose. It took her a moment to gather her feelings before she continued. "But...he's only four, why use him?"

"Because our greatest hope was his father. And his father died."

"So...how did he die, then?" Cherri swallowed her hesitation, though she was certain that she wouldn't like the answer. But if one of these so-called Saiyans killed him, the man that Piccolo had described as Earth's greatest hope, she would have some kind of better idea of just what she's going to be dealing with. Her eyes were fixed on Piccolo, and she thought she saw him tense when she asked him her question. It was almost as if he was debating whether or not to answer her. His brow furrowed, his gaze growing even more intense than it usually was. She saw him take a deep breath before he answered.

"He fell in battle. It was a…" He paused, almost seeming to choke on his words before he continued, as though merely speaking them disgusted him, "a noble sacrifice."

Cherri nodded, satisfied with this answer, and turned her gaze to the ground. Thoughts of what Gohan's dad would have been like swam through her head; first envisioning a proud gentleman, hair slicked back and proper, then imagining a hardened, battle-scarred warrior. She paused, returning her gaze to Piccolo, catching him looking back at her. Time almost froze for a moment, when his expression suddenly turned sour. "If you have the focus to gawk at me," he barked, "you have the focus to harness your Ki. Do it again."


	5. Chapter 5 - Trouble Brewing

Piccolo stood over his student, eyeing her up and down. She had indeed begun to make progress, and now that she was aware of the Ki within her, he decided it would be pertinent to progress to the next level. "When you sapped some of my Ki," he started, "you must have sensed it coming from me. Now, I am going to instruct you on how to sense the Ki of others, and they may sometimes be far away. You must focus harder on detecting the Ki of those far from yourself."

Cherri nodded, taking a deep breath before closing her eyes and clenching her fists in determination. There was no backing out now. "Focus," he continued, "wash out all other things from your mind. Try to picture that Ki, and pinpoint it. Feel its vibrations through the air."

The girl took calculated breaths, pushing all thoughts from her mind. She then found herself thinking of Gohan, the boy she had met just a day prior. Where was he now? How had he been doing? She chastised herself for forgetting him so readily, after all, he was only a kid. She tried to bite her tongue and push the thoughts out of her mind, knowing she had to focus, but somehow, they all kept returning to one thing. As she thought of the boy, she felt almost a ping in the back of her mind. Her eyes snapped open and her head whipped to the side, scanning the barren horizon for the source of the sudden disturbance. Then, she felt it again. It was faint, but it was there, nagging at her. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and the curiosity burned brighter inside her the more she thought of it. She had to know what was out there.

Cherri took off running, kicking up sand in her fervor to find whatever was out there. Piccolo jumped in surprise, his eyes following her until she disappeared from his sight. She thought she heard him call out to her in the distance, but by the time she heard it she was already too far away to make it out. The girl ran hard, pushing herself as fast as she could go. Occasionally, she felt the pang in her mind change direction, if such a thing was possible, and she swerved to accommodate it. It felt as though she were a compass, always pointing toward a single goal. The sun beat hard on her, exhausting her faster than she would have liked to admit. After hours of running, hours of exhaustion, she had collapsed to the ground. Her lungs burned as she took in hurried, shallow breaths, her body aching for air. In her dazed state, she thought she was done for, that at this rate she would be too tired to go on and would surely end up dead of dehydration by the next day, until she heard a sheepish noise from above her.

"Um, are you okay?"

The girl looked up, meeting the gaze of Gohan, his concern almost burned into his face. The boy held out his hand, which Cherri gladly took, and he helped to pull her onto her feet as much as he could. For a brief moment, the girl admired his strength. She wouldn't have expected such a young child to be so strong as to lift her effortlessly, the only problem being the foot of height difference between the two. She wiped her brow, examining her environment briefly before speaking to him. They were in the midst of a largely featureless sandy plain, with only a large outcropping of rock looming above them giving any sense of a landmark to gauge their position. Atop it, a few scrubby trees were standing, the only green thing in sight since she had left where she had been training with Piccolo.

"How long have you been out here? You've done alright?"

"It's only been about a day, and I'm getting hungry…" He almost whined and patted his stomach, which let out a loud gurgling sound. Cherri nodded, gently patting the top of his head in some attempt to ease his worries.

"I'm hungry too, and I don't know where we ended up. I've never been so far away from my house before, I have no idea how I'm going to get back now…"

Gohan looked up at the girl, who was now caught in the same boat as he, and nodded in some sort of understanding. He sat in the shade of the stone cliff nearby, and she followed him, sighing in the relief from the relentless sun. All was quiet for a long while, leaving the both of them to submerge themselves in their thoughts. Cherri reflected at all that she had been told. Although not much time had gone by, what she had learned had turned upside down everything she was familiar with, and nothing made sense any more. Strange, menacing demons; aliens coming to destroy the earth; the fact that she had been dragged into this, largely against her will...it was all a disturbing thought, and she didn't know if she was quite ready to face it. Should she head back home? Or did she want to risk incurring the Demon King's wrath?

The silence was broken by Cherri's stomach letting out a loud grumbling noise, which startled the two, causing them to jump with equal surprise. And then, something peculiar happened. Gohan started to laugh. Cherri began laughing soon after, the high-pitched and innocent giggling of the boy next to her filling her with an odd sort of optimism. She gently clapped Gohan on the back, who turned to look up at her with tear-filled eyes, laughing all the while. His joyful demeanor caused her to laugh even harder, and she doubled over as her abdomen began to ache, her arms clutching around her stomach as she curled inward. Gohan, who had attempted to save himself from this fit and stop, let out a puff of air through his pursed lips like a balloon before he let a loud guffaw escape him, falling back on his behind and kicking his feet in the air.

The two lunatics were suddenly interrupted by four apples dropping from thin air, landing in front of them. The laughter gave way to silence as they struggled to come to grips with what had just happened. They could hardly believe their eyes, but they didn't want to disbelieve them either. They both reached out to grab one, and while Gohan immediately began to eat one, something caught Cherri's eye. A sticker on the side, with a small logo and barcode. Her eyebrow shot up as she inspected it, peeling the sticker from the fruit and bringing it up to her eye. Gohan watched her with his mouth full, not bothering to swallow before he asked her.

"What's wrong?" He struggled to ask, and swallowed the chunk of apple in his cheeks.

"There are stickers on these, but there are no grocery stores around."

"So?"

"So, the only way these apples could have these stickers is if someone took them from my kitchen."

Gohan had stopped paying her any mind, instead focusing on the sudden appearance of food and eating as much as he could. Cherri shrugged to herself, dismissing her doubts. Who was she to argue with a sudden miracle such as this? Biting into her apple, she didn't notice the watchful and judgemental gaze of her teacher in the distance, glowering at the two students of his. How could he have let himself agree to train such dimwitted children? Did they not realize that this was no time to be goofing around when the very fate of the Earth depended on it, and yet they insisted on treating it as though it were some silly game? He felt embarrassed to have ever felt the need to trust others with helping him, especially when the people he trusted with such an honor had proved themselves to be complete idiots. As far as he was concerned, he could just take on the Saiyans himself and leave them to perish in the wreckage. But somehow, he couldn't help but feel something holding him back from that.

"So, uh…" Cherri began absentmindedly, hoping to find some tangent to make small talk of. "What do you think of Mister Piccolo?"

For a moment, Gohan turned pale, and Cherri felt a lump in her throat, feeling as though she had unknowingly struck a sensitive topic. "W-Well, uh," the boy began, "he's big and scary and he can be kind of mean sometimes…"

"But you don't seem mad…"

"Well, he's really more just...grumpy than he is evil."

Piccolo felt his face growing warmer as he heard his student's account of him. Him, not evil? Bah! Surely if the little runt had lived in a time when he didn't have the Saiyans to worry about he wouldn't have thought such a thing, not when he would be living under his iron fist, at the threat of imminent execution if he so much as thought out of line! The Demon King's fist tensed briefly, as he began gathering his Ki in his palm out of reflex. Just then, however, he stopped, lowering his arm. He couldn't destroy a prospective weapon that would serve him well. Yes, of course that was it. That was the only explanation for the sudden jolt of hesitation he felt, clearly. But then, Cherri's reply caught him by surprise.

"Yeah, I can understand you there. I really admire him for trying so hard, and sometimes I want to learn more about him. But he doesn't really open up much…"

Had he heard her correctly? Admiration? He was confused, to say the least. Surely he should be striking fear into her heart! What was there in him to provoke such...admiration? He was confused, and a bit offended, yet at the same time, oddly curious. Piccolo shook his head, trying to shake away the thought along with it. She was simply misinformed, she had to be. He would show her that soon enough.

Hours ticked by as Cherri and Gohan talked, some about his father, the brave fighter who had died fighting Raditz, and some about his mother, an overbearing woman named Chi-Chi. Gohan had expressed relief at being away from her for so long, as he could relax somewhat. Cherri nodded, understanding the sentiment. As the sun descended behind the horizon, and gave way to the bright full moon, the two walked together, pausing to discuss the specifics of the girl's training thus far. Cherri told him all she could, until she found herself growing rather tired. Her eyelids grew heavy and she sat herself on the sand, Gohan plopping himself beside her and laying over a large stone. How resourceful, she thought, though she was content to sprawl herself over the cool sand. Her last thoughts of the night were of Piccolo, where he might be, and what might be on his mind right now. Was Gohan right? Was he really not the evil being he spoke of himself as?

Cherri was awoken in the night by a pained growling noise coming from nearby, and her head shot up, looking around for the source of the disturbance. Gohan was straining, growing larger and ripping through his uniform. He grew larger and more monstrous by the moment, his nose elongating into a snout and hair sprouting over his body. His pained groaning turned into a roar as he stood, towering over even the highest mountain in sight. The girl could hardly believe her eyes as she stared at what she had thought to be the boy she came to knew somewhat, her eyes wide with fear for her life. Then, the monster turned, letting out a blast of some sort of energy from its mouth and leveling a nearby mountain, reducing the great landmark to nothing but rubble in mere seconds. Cherri whimpered involuntarily, drawing the ape's destructive gaze toward her in an instant, its eyes glowing red with rage. Cherri was certain she couldn't outrun it, and her arms shot out in front of her in a defensive gesture. The large monkey creature swept its large arm down at her, impacting with her side with a loud thud and sweeping her to the ground effortlessly. She groaned, a hushed and pained noise escaping her as the air left her lungs upon impact.

Once again, her arms shot out in front of her, her hands quivering in fear. She felt the sheer terror and desperation to live build within her, and then, all at once, her energy discharged in a bright flash from her palms. The monster reeled back, gripping its eyes and roaring in surprise and pain. The girl stumbled clumsily to her feet, staring at her hands in wonder. Did she really do that? Suddenly she realized she had no time to waste and took off, her aching bones nagging at her the more she ran. "Piccolo," she gasped, calling out his name in desperation. She had nowhere else to turn, no-one else to reach for. "Piccolo, where are you!? What's happening?!"

No response came to her. She ran harder, but the loose sand beneath her feet provided little traction for her, and she stumbled, falling to the dirt. Cherri looked up, seeing something familiar close by. It was a small light blue house, surrounded by thick gardens. In her panicked running, she had found her home once more! Such a sight was almost a relief to her in this trying time, though she realized almost immediately that she may not live much longer to bask in its comfort. The monster that once was Gohan was upon her now, his gargantuan tail smashing through the eastern wall of her home and reducing it, and her remaining hope, to splinters. The girl broke out in tears, sobbing openly into the sand underneath her, wallowing in the hopelessness of what had become her life. As she fell to the ground, the great beast seemed to hesitate, gazing down at her with some semblance of pity.

From a distance away, Piccolo watched this situation unfold before him, a coil seeming to tighten in his chest. If he let this monster, no - Gohan, rampage like this, there would be no world to save. And that meant there would be no world to take over. He remembered hearing something back at the old man's island, before Raditz had kidnapped Gohan, about a transformation caused by the full moon. Perhaps this could be it? If so, there was only one thing to do.

The Great Demon Lord turned his attention to the bright, full moon in the sky, holding the palm of his hand out toward it. Gathering as much Ki into his palm as he could, he let a massive blast fly for it, barking out a single command.

" _ **Begone!**_ "


	6. Chapter 6 - Learning to Fly

The moon followed orders. There was a great flash of light that lit up the sky briefly, accompanied by a fiery burst that seemed to shake the earth with its reverberations before chunks of rock crumbled and fell from the clearing smoke, and then, all was still. The night sky became quite dark, no longer illuminated by the friendly, watchful celestial body. Without it, the night felt hopeless and lost. Cherri turned to look at the monster, but only found a stark naked Gohan in its place, toppled over on his face in exhaustion. He was sound asleep, as if there was no rampage to be concerned with at all. The girl clutched at her side, the stinging ache from his previous blow still plaguing her, as she stepped forward to examine him. He had not been hurt, which came as a relief to her, though there was the issue of finding him new clothes. Surely a four-year-old shouldn't be wandering around in his birthday suit. Piccolo dropped by the girl, casually landing at her side with his arms tucked behind his back and under his flowing cape.

"Where were you earlier?!" She demanded, glowering up at her mentor with a rage she had never known.

"I was around. You cannot expect me to swoop in for every little problem you face. But, you are alive, and in such a grand wake of destruction, that is commendable. Well done."

Holding out a hand, Piccolo let out a jolt of Ki which enveloped the child, giving him an entirely new outfit. It was exactly like his old, orange gi, though there was something about the seal that seemed different. He smirked, nodding with satisfaction as he looked over his handiwork. "He truly is my student."

"What about me? You're training me, too! Can't I have one? I want an outfit like yours!"

Piccolo turned, scowling at Cherri and flicking his wrist dismissively, conjuring a similar outfit for her at her feet. "I have no time to waste on your frivolous requests," he barked, "your nagging hurts my ears, so just take it and shut up."

Changing from her old, dusty outfit into her new, dusty uniform, the girl let out a sigh of content, but also one of depression. Her gaze floated over to the wreckage of her home, her eyes beginning to water at the edges. She was homeless for the first time, and she did not know how to take this revelation. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye and down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly, determined not to let her teacher see her in a moment of weakness. In doing so, some sand from the sleeve of her new gi transferred into her eye, which sent her into a fit of rubbing at her eyes, causing them to water more than before. It seemed to be a futile effort.

The Demon King watched the girl curiously, a hand coming up to tap his chin in thought. She had lost something important to her, that much was true. If she spent too much time dwelling on things that cannot be changed, then her mind would be occupied with something other than her training. It would be a distraction, and a distraction would ruin everything he set out to accomplish. He had to do something, to preserve his goals, and the planet that was rightfully his.

"Stop being so idiotic," he boomed, a hand coming down to swat his student on the back of her head. "It's just a house! If you lose focus, you'll end up losing more than that when the Saiyans arrive!"

Cherri stumbled forward from the shock of the slap, it having left a stinging sensation where it landed on the back of her skull. Groaning under her breath, the girl rubbed the spot in an attempt to ease the pain. "What was THAT for?" she demanded.

Piccolo rolled his eyes, looking away. "Surely you'd know this by now! You can't risk being this weak when you have to face a threat as deadly as the Saiyans! If you let yourself be ruled by your petty human feelings, you'll be too soft to fight back!"

Cherri glared at Piccolo, stamping her foot on the ground. At first, the demon's steely gaze began to soften, as if this was just what he had hoped to see in her. Soon, however, he saw that he was misinterpreting things.

"That was my HOUSE! Where am I supposed to stay now? And you just mock me for that? How insensitive can you be!?"

As the girl's whining went even higher in pitch, Piccolo winced, moving for a moment to cover his ears before he at last decided not to. "Fine, then," he began. "If it'll make you shut up, I will allow you to stay with me, at least for the duration of your training."

Cherri looked up at Piccolo for a moment, blinking away her tears before a smile spread over her face. "So," she began, "where do you live?"

The demon froze for a moment, his breath hitching in his throat for a mere second. "...I live anywhere I lay my head," he responded after a moment or two.

"So I'm still homeless, then…"

"Don't start this again," Piccolo bellowed, oddly not waking Gohan by some miracle. "I gave you my word that I would keep you close by until this all blew over! Do you doubt my abilities to keep you safe, woman!?"

"No, not at all, I just had the impression that you had a home nearby!"

Piccolo snorted like an angry bull, but found his anger wouldn't last. He felt annoyed, absolutely, but he could not bring himself to be truly angry. He sighed, the tension in his body exiting with his breath, and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he lifted into the air only slightly, looking off into the horizon.

"We should leave before he wakes up. He's supposed to last six months on his own, after all."

Cherri nodded with some hesitation, reaching up toward his hand, which he pulled out of her reach. "What are you doing," he asked, "just fly beside me! I will show you the way!"

"But I can't fly! I don't even know how you _can_!"

Piccolo rubbed his forehead, covering his eyes with his palm. "Can't even fly," he muttered to himself, his impatience with the girl leaving him with a crawling sensation over his skin. "Alright," he resolved, "I will show you how to unlock your potential for flight in an instant."

The girl nodded excitedly, but her excitement turned to concern when her mentor clasped his hand over her head, lifting her off the ground with ease. "W-Wait," she stammered, "what are you doing?!"

The Demon King smirked, barely biting back a chuckle as he wound back and threw the girl as hard as he could, watching her take off into the air at a respectably quick speed. He had no idea he was that strong. A loud, shrill scream escaped her lungs, her arms bunched close to herself as she looked ahead, her eyes locking on a rapidly-approaching mountain. The girl screamed louder, her throat growing raw and sore, and she threw her feet out in front of her, somehow skidding to a stop. She felt her Ki push against the mountain just in time, her nose inches from the rock face. Tears of fear and shock ran down her face as she stood, suspended in midair, and looked around. Piccolo appeared beside her, arms folded in satisfaction over his chest, which he puffed out with some sort of pride in his pupil.

"You've done it," he stated plainly and gruffly. "You're flying."

"I am?" Cherri looked around and down at the ground, which stood some 30 odd feet below her. Then, she screamed once again, reaching to grab Piccolo's cape and pull herself closer to him. Piccolo sneered, swiping at her in an attempt to get her to let go of him, but it was to no avail. She wasn't letting go any time soon. "I-I'm too high up," she squealed, the sound causing Piccolo to cover his ears in pain. "How do I get down!?"

"Stop _whining_ , you insolent whelp, and stop concentrating! You should descend!"

The girl nodded, closing her eyes tight and following her instructions. Suddenly, she began to plummet, hanging from Piccolo's cape like a dead weight. Piccolo gasped and gagged as his cape pulled down against his throat, and he toppled backwards for a moment before he found it pertinent to descend to the ground with her. Once their feet touched soil, he snapped his cape away from the girl, his anger almost palpable in the very air around him.

"Are you mad at me?" She muttered under her breath, unable to meet his gaze for fear of repercussion. Seeing such fear filled Piccolo with confidence.

"No," he responded, his voice gruff and stern, "I'm not mad. I'm **furious**!" He roared at her, raising his arm to swat at her, but found himself stop when he saw his student flinch. He cleared his throat, bringing his hand down to thump the top of her head, just enough to have her rub the site of the blow and fall on her behind. "Such idiocy cannot go unpunished. Tonight you will sleep here, alone. I will come back for you in the morning to begin your next lesson. Do not stray from this spot!"

"Y-Yes, Mister Piccolo," Cherri mumbled in response, leaning her back against the mountain as she sat down, supporting her weight on her hands. Her eyes grew heavy as she watched Piccolo take off into the sky, and as she fell into sleep, she found herself wondering if she ever saw him smile.


	7. Chapter 7 - Almost There

Piccolo stood at the side, watching Cherri fire a volley of energy blasts at the cliff face. In the past two months, she had proven herself quite capable, and she was learning well. Maybe, he thought, she wouldn't turn out to be completely useless after all. Of course, even that was probably a high bar to set.

"All right," he said, stepping up to her. "You're learning how to use your Ki well. However...when we began learning this technique, you demonstrated a particular power I've never seen before. We'd be remiss not to refine that."

"A power? What are you talking about?" Cherri said. "I don't have anything special about me."

"So you think. But in time you will be shown how you are wrong. Hold out your hand." Although confused, Cherri obliged, laying her arms in front of the Demon King. "You have the ability to draw Ki from others," he continued, "something I've never witnessed in all my travels. Normally, one is limited to what Ki they can summon from within themselves, but you...you should prove quite useful if this has as much potential as I suspect."

"Potential?" Cherri asked, confused. "I don't even know what you mean, how am I supposed to..?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Piccolo had already thrown a blast of energy straight at her. A second later, it was gone, and her hands were red and she could feel a horrible burning sensation from her palms. Wincing, she staggered backwards, attempting to shake her hands free of the pain. "What was that for!?" she asked.

"Until you can learn how to absorb Ki from an outside source," Piccolo said, "you will have to suffer what happens when you don't catch it in time. Try again, I know you're capable."

Once more, he sent a blast of Ki her way, and once more she was unable to stop it, feeling a stinging pain crawl up her arms. She felt as though her blood would boil from the intense heat, and her eyes involuntarily watered in response. Piccolo felt no remorse nor pity, and he kept sending blasts for her, each one more painful on her nerves than the last. The girl felt as though her hands would fall off. An eternity of torment seemed to pass until Piccolo stopped, glaring down at her in annoyance.

"Perhaps I was wrong, though it isn't likely. Take a minute to rest, but do not let your guard down. Anything could happen."

Cherri nodded, blowing cool air onto her seared palms. She had never felt such unbearable, burning pain before. She wondered if this was merely a sample of the horrors to come in such a short time, and if it was, how would she ever survive at this rate? Caught up in her thoughts, she let herself tune everything out, focusing on the workings of her mind. Lost in thought, she felt a panging sensation to her right, and she stuck her hand out, using her energy to pad her palm and protect it from the incoming projectile. Piccolo's voice snapped her out of her stupor, and alerted her to what had just occurred.

"Look," he muttered. The girl looked at her hand, seeing the large, burning ball of energy caught in her fingers like a ball. She felt no pain or discomfort, and handled it with ease. Surprised, she let go, and the ball of Ki dissipated into the air, leaving a few charges of energy in its wake. She stared at her hand in astonishment, looking up at her teacher bewildered. If she could catch these blasts, then who was to say that she couldn't absorb them as well? Suddenly, she felt invigorated, proud of herself, even. She pumped her fist in the air, cheering for her newfound accomplishment, but Piccolo was not as easily impressed.

"You may celebrate later, when you have mastered your technique. Now, absorb the Ki and send it back to me!"

He sent another blast for her, which she readily caught in her hand like a baseball. Cherri paused, looking at it and wondering how she could possibly absorb this thing. She closed her eyes, focusing hard on her own Ki, feeling it almost merge with the Ki that Piccolo had sent for her. She slowly squeezed her fingers together, feeling the space between her palm and digits close. When she opened her eyes, the ball of Ki was gone, and in its place was an insufferable burning that crawled up her arm. She wailed in pain, her left hand coming to rub, then claw at her affected arm, which felt as though it would burst into flames. The pain was coursing throughout her limb, in every nerve and muscle, and her arm locked up, refusing to move. Piccolo tensed, reaching his arm out to grab hers, trying anything he could to ease this pain. If he did not, then she could lose the arm, and she would be rendered all but useless to him. Concern etched into his face, he pulled his student close to himself and kneeled to her level, examining her arm closely. He could feel the energy that was trapped in her without needing to touch the limb, and it burned his fingertips lightly when he did. This was bad, he needed to do something fast.

Acting upon his first impulse, he swung his arm out and connected his palm with her cheek, slapping her squarely across the face. Cherri grunted and glared at him, her arm jutting out in front of her and releasing the Ki out of reflex, blasting the demon lord in the chest and sending him toppling onto his rear. The force of it was incredible, striking him hard like a cannon and knocking the air from his chest for a moment. He felt shocked at the sudden power he witnessed, and he almost felt pride in her accomplishment. Cherri gasped in shock, her hands coming to cover her mouth in concern for his safety. She reached out to him, examining his singed gi for a moment. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know that would happen, are you okay? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she apologized again and again, frantically moving her hands from his chest to her chin to his shoulder and back against her chest. She panicked, her breathing growing fast and shallow as she repeated the same sentiment of remorse over her actions. She went silent as Piccolo raised his hand, standing stoically and nodding to her as he dusted himself off.

"You did well," he said gruffly, nodding his head in pride. "I did not expect you to figure it out so quickly. But you've shown me you're not as inept as you look. Well done."

Cherri felt her cheeks flush red, her eyes darting to the ground in embarrassment. Never before had he admitted such pride for her accomplishment, and to reward her with such words of praise was unheard of. Her heart began to pound, the blood rushing through her ears drowning out all sense of reason. She admonished herself internally for reacting this way, and toward her teacher no less. His training was intense, unforgiving and trying to both mind and body. She felt ashamed of herself, but as she focused on the praise he had given her more, she felt her face grow warmer.

Piccolo looked at her in confusion, noting the change in color in his student. He knelt down once again, getting a better look at her downturned face.

"Are you ill?" he questioned of her. "You've changed color. Is this normal for humans?"

"I-I'm fine," she stammered, glaring up at him and taking a step back suddenly. He was expressing concern as well?! What had gotten into him?! She huffed in a motion resembling her teacher in moments of anger, and crossed her arms over her chest. "What's my next lesson?!"

Piccolo paused, shocked at the nerve that Cherri had to speak to him that way. He stood over her, tapping his chin in thought. Her tenacity surely was impressive, and her demand that he continue to teach her caught him by surprise. He smirked, suddenly having an idea. His palm jutted out to knock the side of her head, causing her to stumble to the side.

"You're leaving yourself open. Block, dodge or fight back, but do not leave yourself defenseless. I will not go easy on you."

True to his word, Piccolo lunged for her suddenly and intensely, furiously landing blow after blow. His startled pupil yelped in surprise and pain, struggling to back away from the Demon King's onslaught. His attacks came lightning fast, his fists slamming against her frail body relentlessly. A swift kick to her gut sent her flying back, skidding across the ground and kicking up sand in her wake.

Piccolo lunged after her, gliding through the air across the sand. Before Cherri could prepare herself, he had delivered a punch straight to her stomach, sending her reeling backwards. Then, he spun to kick her in the side, knocking her back to the ground, where she landed face-first in the sand.

"Pathetic," he muttered, shaking his head as he glared down at her with his arms folded. "For all the potential you show, you're clearly too foolish to actually apply any of it."

Cherri began to get up, groggily, rubbing her head while brushing sand from her hair. She shook herself, attempting to get to her senses, but Piccolo was already upon her, unleashing a flurry of punches that seemed to strike faster than she could keep track of.

"Slow down!" she yelled. "How am I supposed to learn anything if you don't let me?"

"It's not about letting you, it's about you making an effort! I thought I had already driven that into your empty head!"

"I _am_ trying!"

"If you were making any sort of effort, you would have the upper hand by now!"

"I _am_! And I _**will**_! Just you wait!"

She let out a furious yell, driving her hand upwards, and it impacted with Piccolo's chin, the ball of her hand driving his jaw upwards and clacking his teeth together. He stumbled, caught off-guard by the sudden blow, and Cherri responded with another blow to his waist, following through with a kick to his knees in a fluid motion. She attempted to imitate his techniques, but found she did not have the speed to match him, for in a single motion Piccolo had reached out and clipped her neck with his hand, stunning the poor girl. She fell to her knees, gasping in desperation. That mere tap from Piccolo had reduced her to nothing but a quivering mess, and she rubbed her aching muscles absentmindedly.

The humiliation she felt bubbled inside of her like bile, making her physically sick to even think about the way Piccolo looked down on her. She simply wanted to make him proud, to make the effort she knew she could. She wanted him to recognize her accomplishments and praise her, but she was met with disappointment and ire. Her embarrassment turned into rage, boiling over and causing her to launch herself for the towering demon, her Ki propelling her up to his eye-level, and her arm shot forward, her fist swiftly meeting his face.

Piccolo reeled a moment, gripping his nose and pulling his hand away to reveal a smear of purple. But, blinded by her rage, Cherri payed it no mind, continuing to lunge for him and strike him with blow after blow, the force of her knuckles meeting his head and shoulders driving her fingernails into her palms. For a brief moment, Piccolo smiled, but he was quick to put his arms back up to block, swiftly parrying and catching the girl's blows. For a moment, Cherri thought that she just might be winning. Soon, however, Piccolo gave a feint to the side, and in the moment Cherri was distracted, he proceeded to lay back into her, striking with a swift barrage of punches. It soon grew to be too much for her to handle, and she sank back into the sand, heaving for breath.

"Ow…" she muttered.

"I thought you were starting to actually prove yourself useful," Piccolo said. "Such a pity you couldn't live up to it."

The girl glared at him, refusing to feel any hurt from his words. She, instead, turned her rage outward, her hands jutting out and charging a blast of Ki. The energy gathered in her hands, and the reservoir she drew on felt to have no end. When she could no longer take the burn of the pure energy, she let go, sending the projectile flying for the Demon Lord Piccolo. He reeled, dazed from the pure force of the strike. Was she holding back this entire time?

He felt himself grow impatient, and, refusing to let her get the better of him, sent a blast for her. She, out of pure impulse, deflected it back at him, and he took another full strike to the face. Piccolo growled, growing angrier by the moment, and sent a volley of blasts. Each one, Cherri caught with relative ease, her own rage blinding her to her actions as she simply acted on impulse. Combining each burst of Ki into one large ball, she hurled it with both of her hands at him. Piccolo knew he could not deflect this, nor could he afford to take it head-on, so he dodged to the side. The sheer power coming from this five-foot munchkin was astounding. His surprised expression must have gotten through her anger, as upon seeing him look so shocked she stopped in her tracks, her arms dropping to her sides as she leaned over and panted for breath. She paused, timidly glancing at the ground and expecting to be scolded once more. Piccolo simply nodded, still stunned at the display he had witnessed, and sat on the ground, his legs crossed under him as he began his meditation. He needed to reflect upon the actions that had taken place.


	8. Chapter 8 - Changes

Cherri rubbed her eyes as she woke, sitting up and dusting the sand from her person. Beside her was Gohan, the wilderness-hardened child already up and awake, awaiting his first personal lesson. Piccolo stood before them both, arms crossed in impatience before he spoke.

"Today, you learn how to dodge. Since neither of you can take a blow, you must learn how to avoid them. Be swift on your feet, and take to the air when you must. I will fight you both. Prepare yourselves."

His two students nodded, and each swept to the side as he sent a blast between them, kicking up dust upon impact. Gohan took to the left, Cherri to the right, and they both hurled small projectiles of Ki at him. Piccolo casually swept each to the side, dashing over to Gohan faster than either of them could see. Startled, Gohan went to kick him, but Piccolo grabbed the child's ankle to stop him. While he was pre-occupied with the kid, Cherri took off toward him, zipping through the air as fast as she could, and landed a kick square upon her mentor's back.

The demon let go of Gohan, reeling forward for a moment before turning the momentum into a kick into her stomach. Cherri grunted, flying back and plummeting a short way to the ground, skidding across the sand.

"You're not obeying my instructions! Do not simply sit there and take it, you must dodge!"

The girl took back to the air, pushing her Ki behind her as a force and rocketing herself toward Piccolo, her shoulder colliding with his chest. The impact barely moved the wall she met, and he clamped his arms around her body, squeezing her hard and tightly against his chest. The girl's face went flush with embarrassment for a moment, but the odd pounding of her heart was soon drowned out by the pain crackling through her body. "Do not put yourself in arm's reach," he boomed down at her as he effortlessly threatened to crush the girl. "Stay back and away, use your strengths to your advantage!"

Gohan yelped, concerned for his fellow student, and rushed Piccolo, unleashing a flurry of blows upon his back and sides. As the great demon let go of Cherri and turned to face the new threat, the child shot backwards, out of reach. The girl followed this example, and they both landed side by side upon the ground, fists clenched and muscles tensed, ready for anything their teacher could throw at them next.

The minutes turned into hours of rigorous training, and the sun had threatened to set upon the horizon by the time that Piccolo let the two rest. Cherri delicately held Gohan in her arms, cradling him like a child as she set him upon a large rock to serve as a makeshift bed. She sat close to him as he slept soundly, having used her Ki to make a small fire from a handful of twigs and dry grass. Piccolo stood by her for a few moments before he sat himself beside her. The wind whistled through a few trees nearby, and all felt calm. Cherri looked up to her teacher, seeing his expression turn to one of pain and discomfort. Perhaps something was bothering him more than usual?

"Is something the matter?"

"...Time is moving quickly. The Saiyans will be upon us sooner than we think. You two are not ready."

"I think we may be, when the time comes. I'm working as hard as I can to get better…" Cherri rubbed at her sore muscles, the flicker of the small fire lighting the doubt within her eyes. The large demon beside her glanced down at her briefly before shutting his eyes, giving off the impression that he was attempting to meditate.

"Hard work is one thing," he mumbled, "yet ability is another matter entirely. I doubt any of us will be fully prepared for what is coming."

The girl stopped, looking up at him and briefly meeting his gaze with her own. "You doubt yourself?"

"Of course not! But these Saiyans are unlike anything we've ever faced before. You'd be a fool not to be afraid."

"...Glad to know I'm no fool, then."

The two fell silent, at a loss for anything to say. Time slowly ticked by as they shared a brief moment of pure silence, the only sound being that of the birds chirping in the trees nearby. The ones that were still awake, that is. As the sun set behind the horizon, and night fell upon the group, Cherri felt tense in the dead blackness of night.

"...It's dark."

"It is nighttime. Why would it not be?"

"It was brighter when the moon was out…"

Piccolo blinked, glancing up at the sky. She was right, he thought, without the moon to illuminate the land, the sky felt empty. But, in the absence of the moon's harsh light, he could see the stars clearer than ever before. He felt awestruck for a moment, taking in the swirling colors of the galaxies illuminated in the sky, the black sheet above them suddenly becoming a canvas full of color and motion. He reached out to the girl, lightly prodding her shoulder to get her attention as he directed her to look up.

Cherri gasped, her eyes widening with wonder as she took in the indescribable beauty of the sky. She felt herself smile, becoming wrapped in the joy she felt in these few, fleeting moments of peace. Her eyes scanned every star and planet, her hand shooting up into the air to point at a bright, ball of light above the two.

"Look," she gasped, "it's Venus!"

"Venus?" Piccolo looked down at her for a moment before he directed his attention back upward.

"It's the planet next to ours, the second planet from the sun. You can see it because it's so bright, see?"

"...Indeed I can."

Piccolo felt himself relax for the first time that he could ever remember, leaning back a bit further and propping his weight upon his arms. Suddenly, motion caught his eyes as a bright streak of blue sliced across the sky, and he pointed up at it.

"And what's that?" He asked her, the curiosity dripping from his words.

"That's a comet," Cherri replied, "it's a rock that's hurtling through space really really fast. It looks blue because of the energy it gathered while flying; the blue color is actually just debris being pushed out of its way at incredible speeds."

Piccolo fell silent, taking in her words. Could it be that there were people who knew things he didn't? Still, to know these things now filled him with a sense of accomplishment. The seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity as they passed. Cherri shuddered to think that in just six months time, she would be fighting for the chance to see anything like this ever again. And even if they succeeded, there was no guarantee she would survive. Her arms tiring, the girl leaned herself against Piccolo's arm for support, which, to her surprise, the demon allowed. They sat together, basking in the glow of the stars, and the stillness of peace, until they both let themselves succumb to sleep.

The next few weeks were much of the same; the three would fight, Piccolo would always come out on top, and then they would rest for the night, stopping occasionally for meals they would find around the wasteland. In those brief moments of rest, Cherri found herself conversing with Piccolo as much as he would allow. She learned of his past, or what he elected to tell her, as many conversations were steered toward how great his father was. They found themselves wrapped in awe of the night sky after each sunset, the glow of the stars seeming to put them both at ease. Strangely, Piccolo felt something new.

"...Looking at the stars, it's very lovely, isn't it?"

"Hm?" Piccolo turned to look at Cherri as she suddenly spoke, barely making out the redness in her cheeks against the fire light.

"I mean, it's nice out here, resting and spending this time with…" She trailed off, eyes widening in some sort of revelation. Piccolo's brow shot upward in confusion, but she waved dismissively, and he turned his head back up to the sky.

"...Still, I feel something, looking up at that one, there." He pointed, signaling a bright speck against the purple sky. It sparkled and shined with a green color, and was strangely captivating to the Demon King.

"It is quite pretty. I've always liked the color green."

Piccolo grumbled a moment before continuing, "I feel strange. As if I know that...planet. Almost as if I am familiar with it, yet I cannot recall a thing about being anywhere but Earth."

"It's probably nothing," Cherri responded, clearing her throat and attempting to rub the redness away from her face. As she rested upon these moments and let her mind wander, she felt her heart pound against her ribs and a hollowness in her gut. Her chest ached, but it was unlike any ache she had ever felt before. She found herself staring at the ground, eyes wide with confusion as she tried to make sense of these new sensations within her. Somehow, somewhere in all this pain, she felt happiness.

She was happy to be here, sitting beside a sleeping Gohan and a pondering Piccolo. She was happy when they spoke with one another, and she felt joy when Piccolo opened up to her about himself. She even began to feel gratitude toward him for taking her in the way he had. ' _By God_ ,' she thought, ' _what's wrong with me_?'

Unbeknownst to her, Piccolo was wracked with a similar sentiment. He hated himself, scolding and admonishing himself inside his own head for feeling so... _strangely_. He found himself feeling a peace he had never felt before, despite the imminent danger of the Saiyans just around the bend. He felt a kind of attachment to his students, something that he dared to say he had never experienced in his life. He stole a glance at Cherri sitting beside him, watching her stare into the fire intently, and he wondered what was going through her mind so furiously. A dull pain within his chest arose, and he raised his hand to touch over the area, looking down at himself in confusion. The more he thought of the potential turmoil the girl could be experiencing, the greater the pain grew, and something within him tormented him, pestering and bothering him to ask her what was wrong.

"Is something the matter?"

Cherri froze for a moment and whipped her head up to look at Piccolo. His question had caught her by surprise, to say the least. His expression was soft, yet stern in his usual fashion. But something felt off about the way he was looking at her now. He had never gazed at her with such...empathy before. She slowly shook her head from side to side, answering softly.

"No...no, I'm alright. Are you?"

"Of course I am, idiot!" Piccolo suddenly became angry, turning his entire body away from the girl as he gazed into the distance, glaring with enough anger to scare even the great dinosaurs that walked the wasteland. The girl tilted her head with bewilderment, but simply shrugged it off. Yeah, she thought, Piccolo was just fine if he had the energy to get mad at her.

Piccolo glared, frustration with himself building inside of his chest. But, along with it, came a relief. He was relieved she was alright, that she answered him in the best way possible. He found that he felt positively, though he could not describe exactly how, when he saw her safe. Her determination filled him with an odd sense of pride, when she showed it, and her potential sparked a light of hope inside of the great demon. All around, he found himself feeling happy when he spent his time with not only Cherri, but Gohan as well. He hated himself for it.


	9. Chapter 9 - Arrival

As the months went by, the training that Cherri and Gohan became subjected to grew more and more intense. They were forced to spar not only with their master, Piccolo, but one another. However, the intensity did not serve without a purpose. Slowly, Cherri noticed that Gohan became much stronger, his muscles becoming defined and solid. This couldn't have been healthy for someone so young, she pondered during the brief moments of rest that Piccolo allowed them. And, within herself, she felt something grow stronger. She found she still had difficulty lifting greater weights, however, and she noticed she still was extremely small compared to the progress her friend was making. On the other hand, she felt a stronger mastery of her Ki, growing to effortlessly launch balls and blasts of the stuff, and her ability to catch and throw back blasts grew exponentially.

When the group would rest for the night, she would often find herself meditating alongside Piccolo. She focused on controlling her energy, harnessing and expanding it as much as she could. Where she once felt fear and shock, she would feel a warm sense of welcome when she would delve into her mind this way, as though this was where she belonged. It was a very wanted respite from the ferocity of training, and it had the added benefit of allowing her to improve in her own way. In recent days, she found herself focusing more on meditation than conversing with Piccolo, something that had not gone unnoticed by the demon king.

Piccolo felt proud of his students and the progress they had made, though he was painfully aware of how short time had grown. Something within him grew apprehensive as each day passed, and he found himself watching both Gohan and Cherri closer than ever before. He didn't dare let them stray too far from his sight, nor did he allow them to be in any real danger. He had found himself forced to keep the dangerous animals of the wastes away from them, and he would scold himself for coddling them so. This training was supposed to toughen them for the Saiyan arrivals, yet here he was, spoiling them with a cozy environment.

One day, however, the routine was abruptly broken. It had started out ordinarily enough, with Piccolo meditating and Cherri by his side, quietly following his lead. Suddenly, however, Piccolo jumped to his feet, his concentration shattered. Cherri found herself shaken by his sudden movements and began to get to her feet as well, dusting herself off. "Huh?" she asked. "What's the matter?"

"All of a sudden," Piccolo said gravely, staring off into the distance, "I felt two very strong auras descending nearby…"

Cherri gulped, the implications of what he was saying sinking in soon enough. "Oh no…"

"We have to get going! No time to sit around and stall!" Piccolo growled, immediately taking off and zooming into the distance. Gohan followed his lead, and Cherri lagged behind somewhat, trying to shake the cobwebs out of her head.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they soared through the air, high above the ground. She idly gazed down, seeing fields and roads pass by beneath her, before she reminded herself of the urgency of the situation and looked back up.

"East City," Piccolo said. "They're in the middle of a densely populated area, yet their Ki is strong enough for me to sense it above that of anyone else…"

Cherri gulped. She had learned much about fighting and using her Ki under Piccolo, but that had all been for practice. She had yet to face an actual opponent in a true life-or-death battle, and this would surely be a rude awakening.

Just then, Piccolo pulled to a stop, pausing. A look of shock crossed his face for a moment before he shook it off.

"Huh..?" Cherri asked. "Why are you-"

She abruptly stopped mid-sentence when she looked down at the ground below her. While Piccolo had promised they were approaching a bustling city, all she could see before her was a vast, smoking crater, in the center of which stood two figures, standing silently amidst the desolation.

"What...happened here?" Cherri asked herself, landing on the rim of the crater. She knew that the Saiyans were supposed to be powerful, but could they possibly have annihilated an entire city in minutes?

"They're dead," answered one of the two figures, a small, armored man with a tall head of hair. "All of them, dead like the pitiful insects they were. And as YOU shall soon be!" he added, jabbing a finger in the girl's direction.

His companion, a much taller and more muscular man, bald except for a mustache, looked up at Piccolo. "Look, Vegeta, a Namekian! Didn't expect to find one on this planet," he said.

"Namekian?" Cherri asked. "What are you talking about?" Wasn't Piccolo supposed to be a demon, she thought?

"Namekian…" Piccolo said, pausing for a moment. He stepped forward, rubbing his forehead as though thinking about something, before he looked up. "So, I'm from the planet Namek," he began. "I can't believe it, yet at the same time I know it's true...yes, it's true…"

"Huh?" Cherri said, the explanation giving her little to make sense of the situation. Before she could ask anything further, however, a small bald man, not much taller than she was, landed at her side. "And who are YOU?" she said, looking up at the stranger.

"I could ask the same!" he responded. He turned to look back up at the Saiyans, going pale before he abruptly finished his thoughts. "...but we don't have time to get acquainted with everyone!"

"Right you are!" the shorter Saiyan called Vegeta interrupted with a smirk. "But you don't have much time to begin with either way. You think you can fight us off? All you're doing is giving us more notches to add to our body count!"

"Just wait until the rest of us get here!" the bald man shouted back. "You're outnumbered, even now..!"

"Not for long," said the taller Saiyan, reaching behind him and producing a small vial.

"Yes, Nappa," Vegeta said, a maniacal grin crossing his face, "maybe the Saibamen can show these fools they have no chance against us!"

Nappa uncorked the vial, producing a few seeds, which he then threw onto the ground in front of them. The ground shook, and Cherri clung to Piccolo's side to help stabilize herself. A minute later, six green-skinned beings, short in stature and stooped over, with long claws and glowing red eyes, burst from the ground, facing the four of them.

"Now," Vegeta said, "let the battle begin."


	10. Chapter 10 - Saibamen

Cherri watched as her allies launched into battle. However, Gohan hesitated quite a bit. He stood by her side as they watched Piccolo and the short human do battle with the green monsters, and while it was obvious that Piccolo had grown stronger over this past year, he still seemed to have trouble handling them, the creatures parrying his blows and returning their own. Everything was too much for the girl to handle, and she trembled at the thought of a real battle. Piccolo had been right, she was truly not ready for this. In an attempt to calm herself, she let her eyes drift to the two aliens who had just arrived. They were both wearing odd outfits, perhaps some kind of armor, though even with such protection they were battle-hardened and strong. She felt her cheeks flush as she watched them in their confidence, hiding her face when the one called Nappa looked over at her with a smirk.

"Hey, Vegeta," he whispered down to the shorter Saiyan, "that one there keeps looking over. You'd think she'd be a bit more scared!"

"Leave the woman be, Nappa. She will have her turn once the others are dead."

Cherri gritted her teeth in anger; she felt insulted and underestimated. Had she not trained with Piccolo? She reminded herself that she would not stand for this. Just as she was going to join the fight, two more strangers landed beside her and Gohan. One was tall and bald, with a prominent third eye upon his forehead. All three eyes glanced down at her as a small white being peeked around his shoulder, and she felt even more self-conscious than before, finding herself unable not to stare. She turned her attention to the dark-haired man that landed by Gohan, his face adorned with battle scars. He also turned to look at her, an eyebrow cocked in interest and confusion. Then, just as suddenly as he arrived, something seemed to click in his mind, and he suddenly recoiled in pure terror, shooting into the battlefield in an attempt to distance himself from her.

Piccolo turned to see her follow the dark-haired fighter into the fight, landing a few blows on a nearby Saibaman. He lunged out to shove her aside, but she hopped out of his way before he could. He glared in annoyance. If the girl would be this foolhardy, she could end up a huge liability instead of any help, and he would not stand for it. He watched as she landed blow after blow on the small, green creature. He almost felt impressed that she was showing significant prowess in a real battle, were it not for Tien and Krillin having downed two of them while she struggled with only one. He watched her closely, noting every move she made as the thing put her on the defensive.

Vegeta laughed openly, hands resting confidently on his hips. "Look, Nappa," he began, "she still tries though she knows she is beaten! How entertaining!"

"I'm beginning to regret having to kill her!"

The two Saiyans laughed harder, and Cherri felt her limbs grow tired as the battle wore on. Suddenly, as she was concentrating on her opponent, another one came up behind her and clamped onto her back, its arms and legs locked firmly around her. She felt her limbs suddenly restricted, and began to panic, squirming and struggling under its grip. Her allies all gasped in shock, and they all felt the Saibaman's Ki spike intensely. Piccolo turned as he heard Chiaotzu speak as the small creature cowered behind Tien.

"I-It's going to self-destruct," he shouted, "someone do something!"

Cherri froze, and fearing for her friends' safety, she took off into the air, putting distance between them and herself. The Ki within the creature on her back grew rapidly, and she felt it begin to burn her skin as the seconds ticked by. She struggled to remember her training, her talents, anything she could think of to save her life. That's when she remembered when she drained the Ki from Piccolo by accident. Perhaps if she focused now, she could do the same to this Saibaman and save her life!

Gohan and Piccolo watched helplessly as Cherri stopped her struggling, tensing in fear as they both wondered what she could be doing. Had she given up and accepted her fate? As the seconds turned to minutes, everything seemed to slow to a crawl, and even the Saiyans' attentions were turned intently to the girl. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a loud and bright explosion, the resulting blast enveloping the girl. Piccolo watched wide-eyed, his hands balling into fists out of pure rage. How dare she die like this, he thought, how dare she abandon her rightful king. His eyes darted around, scouring the air for any sign of her as his hope drained from him. There was no way she could have survived the blast.

Nappa scoffed, turning his attention back to the group in front of him now. He hadn't expected much else from a small woman they brought with them, after all. Just as he began to take a stance, he was shocked out of his excitement by a small noise.

"Hey, don't give up on me so easily, big guy."

The large Saiyan felt anger swell within his chest as the girl mocked him, but Vegeta waved his hand dismissively. "There are plenty more Saibamen," he muttered, "let them handle this. With any luck we won't even have to fight."

Cherri flew back to her place beside the others, huffing as she wiped sweat from her brow. "That was close," she muttered to herself.

"Stand back!" the short, bald man interjected, pushing himself to the front of the crowd. "I can handle this!"

However, he in turn was soon interrupted by the scar-faced man. "Wait, Krillin," he said, "we've already used the Dragon Balls to bring you back; if you die here, we'll lose you!"

"Dragon Balls…" Vegeta muttered to himself. "I heard of a legend that these seven balls of power that could grant any wish. Could it possibly be true?! Nappa, if we found those Balls, we could be immortal and fight for all time!"

"Of course, we don't have time to gather them now. But at this rate," he added with a chuckle, "it shouldn't be long!"

Meanwhile, the scar-faced man had already taken his place on the battlefield, eyeing a Saibaman as he adopted a fighting stance. "All right, Yamcha, show them what you've got!" Krillin cheered from the sidelines.

The Saibaman took off towards Yamcha, running at a brisk pace. But before it could come close, the dark-haired man jumped backwards, thrusting his hands outward with his palms cupped. "KAMEHAMEHA!" he shouted, and in that moment, a massive beam of Ki erupted from his hands. It flew straight at the Saibaman before making impact, blowing it back a distance. By the time Yamcha lowered his hands, the creature was lying in a crater, on its back and its body singed.

Yamcha began to step towards it cautiously when it suddenly jumped up. He gasped and doubled backward, watching the green-skinned being lunge for him with its limbs outstretched. But he had already seen one of the creatures attempt to use the same technique on Cherri, and he knew better than to let it get too close to him. He jumped back, levitating into the air, and jumping over the creature's head as it zoomed past him. By the time he landed, the Saibaman was still distracted, its back turned to him. Yamcha wasted no opportunity to act. As he quickly struck a fighting stance, he began to channel his Ki into his fists, which began to glow before the effect spread into an aura around him, taking on the form of a snarling spectral wolf.

"WOLF FANG FIST!" Yamcha cried out, lunging at the unsuspecting Saibaman and unleashing a flurry of punches. With the Ki charged into his blows, every impact was amplified, knocking the creature back further and sending it staggering. At last, he finished the attack with a swift palm strike straight at the Saibaman's head, smashing through the green flesh like an overripe apple and sending the creature toppling back as it leaked a hissing green goo from the wound.

Cherri stepped up by him, and as he turned to look at her, she suddenly caused his confident demeanor to crumble in an instant and sent him reeling back from her once more. She gave him an odd look, but took on a battle stance before she felt herself violently jerked to the side by Piccolo, his hand firmly clamped on her arm.

"What are you doing?!" He bellowed at her, glaring down at the girl. "You did your part, and you were almost killed! Stay out of this fight! You are not prepared for it!"

"You're telling me that all my work was for nothing?! I slaved and worked as hard as I could to make you proud, and you won't even let me fight!"

She pulled herself away from him and turned to engage another Saibaman, but before it could lunge at her, Piccolo effortlessly swatted it back and out of reach. Cherri watched, wide-eyed, as it skidded across the sand and came to a stop. This didn't seem to stop Piccolo from scolding her, either.

"You are not listening to me! You are going to get hurt if you keep doing this! Stay _back_!" Only one Saibaman was remaining, and Piccolo's gaze immediately snapped towards it. He charged at the creature as fast as he could before delivering a punch to its stomach, followed by an uppercut knocking it into the air. As it flew overhead, Piccolo let out a monstrous roar, his mouth opening wide before he shot a blast of Ki from the back of his throat. The light consumed the Saibaman's body, soon burning it to embers.

Cherri watched Piccolo in awe, her hands covering her mouth in an attempt to disguise her amazement. Even though she trained as hard as she could under him, she still could not match his prowess in battle. Despite the danger she was in, her cheeks flushed red with her admiration for him. He turned to face her, his expression stone cold. The girl felt herself step closer to him, and he kneeled by her, noticing her bruises from her encounters with the Saibamen.

Nappa stepped up, cracking his knuckles and drawing the attention of the group. He smirked and watched them as they all tensed, reveling in the fear he felt from them. He paused for a moment and glanced down at Vegeta, almost as if he were waiting for something. Vegeta gave a solemn nod, and Nappa stepped even closer, reaching his arms out and smiling wide.

"Now," he announced, "it's my turn."


	11. Chapter 11 - Between a Rock

Nappa took a stance, at once facing Krillin and taking off towards him, his shoulder lowered to make impact. Before he could get close, however, Piccolo suddenly swerved, blasting a volley of Ki at the Saiyan's side. Nappa ducked at the last moment, returning with a kick in Piccolo's direction, which sent him flying backward into a rock nearby. As Piccolo's back made impact with the cliff, the ground shook and a cloud of dust and gravel was shaken loose.

Cherri gasped, watching her old mentor batted away with a single blow, as though he was nothing compared to Nappa's raw power. "Hold on, Piccolo, I'm coming!" she shouted, taking off in Nappa's direction as she funneled Ki into her fists. Hovering slightly above the Saiyan, she sent a few blasts into his side, which only managed to ding his armor. Undaunted, Nappa strode forward, meeting Piccolo where he had lowered himself to a standing position on the ground. The girl felt her fists ball against her palms, glowering at the Saiyan's confidence and feeling enraged at her own incompetence. She put her all into those blasts and they accomplished nothing. She flew at him in all her rage, her outstretched leg connecting sharply with the back of the giant warrior's head. He staggered out of surprise, turning his attention to the annoyance that plagued him.

"Seems like you're determined to butt in on the fun," he growled, "in that case I'd be happy to play with you!" He lunged for her, his giant fist jutting out and connecting with her midsection in a mighty blow that sent the air from her lungs like a cannonball. As the girl doubled over, his knee jabbed into her chin and sent her flying onto her back, her blood staining the sand under her. She weakly wiped the trickle of blood from her lip, shaking with pain and fear. Slowly, she forced herself to her feet, feeling her legs quake beneath her weight. Would she die? Is this how her life would end? She had always thought that she would have lived a much longer life, alongside her new friends, carefree and serene. Now, faced with certain death, something within Cherri sparked. She launched herself forward once more, the fear for her life fueling her desire to protect those close to her.

Cherri's leg caught Nappa's jaw as she flew, forcing his head to the side and prompting him to respond by grabbing her leg and slamming her into the ground, the impact kicking up a cloud of dust and sand. The girl was knocked unconscious by the blow, her strained breathing the only sign she still lived. Gohan, having been petrified with fear, suddenly launched into action upon seeing this, his rage boiling over. He could not stand back idly when his friends were being kicked around like this. His small foot met squarely with Nappa's chest and drilled a hole through the armor, the impact knocking the large Saiyan off of his feet and onto his rear.

Nappa stood, the anger about him thick and palpable in the air, and waited for the next rage-fueled attack from Gohan. He was met with the predictable pattern of the child, and he was able to easily swat him from the air, knocking the poor kid into the ground, much like he had done to the child's friend moments prior. Dizzy from the blow, Gohan was knocked back to his senses, and he ran off in pure terror while the Saiyan laughed heartily.

"This is turning out to be fun! I don't even have to go all out. I think I'll keep holding back so we can keep playing around!"

"That's ENOUGH!" Piccolo roared, landing in front of Nappa with enough force to kick up a cloud of dust around his feet. Nappa simply chucked to himself, folding his arms.

"Hah," he said to himself, "so the Namekian decides to stand up for his little friends?"

"Friends?" Piccolo said, seeming almost disgusted to be pronouncing the word. "They aren't my friends. But your tone annoys me, thinking you're so high and mighty. We'll see how you are after THIS!"

Raising his arms, Piccolo suddenly sent forth a huge wave of energy that knocked Nappa off his feet, sending the Saiyan warrior careening back through the sky. Gohan took his opportunity to run back over to Cherri, reaching out to lightly shake her arm in an attempt to rouse her. A few moments of vigorous shaking managed to wake the girl, and she groggily looked up at him. He helped her up, attempting to stabilize her enough to get the both of them out of range of the fighting. "Come on, Cherri, wake up!" he muttered, shaking her.

"Huh..?" Cherri shook her head, clearing her hair out of her eyes before looking back over her shoulder. The girl watched as Piccolo engaged Nappa, seeming to gain the upper hand. He sent blasts for the Saiyan, aiming for the hole in his armor and hitting his mark with surprising accuracy. The giant warrior staggered to his feet, glaring at her mentor with a rage she had never seen. She trembled slightly as she pondered what Nappa would do next. He launched himself for Piccolo, arm outstretched to connect with his face, but he found himself interrupted by Cherri launching herself for him like a projectile, her shoulder knocking him out of his path. Piccolo glared down at her, shoving her aside.

"Don't be an idiot," he barked, "you'll get yourself killed! Stand aside and let me handle this!"

"We just have to hold them off long enough for Goku to get here! Then we'll be saved!" Krillin turned to the girl and grabbed her arm. "So come on! We can't die before he gets here!"

The small man led Cherri off by the arm, Nappa turning his attention back to his foe. He raised his arm and began charging a blast before Vegeta held out his hand, and Nappa froze, looking over at him as the small Saiyan began to speak.

"This Goku," he began, "is he Kakarrot?"

Krillin paused, looking over at Vegeta before he nodded. "That's what that one guy called him, yeah. Why does it matter?"

"Yeah, Vegeta," Nappa interjected, "just let me finish this already!"

Vegeta scoffed, but dismissively flicked his wrist. "Fine, fine," he muttered, "I guess it can't be helped."

As Nappa finally lowered his arms, Piccolo flew towards him again, meeting him with a few punches and kicks. But in Nappa's newly-charged state, the Namekian's attacks barely fazed him, and he found himself taking the brunt of Nappa's assault, staggering back with every strike. At last, it was Tien who ended up breaking the silence. "He's too powerful for just one of us to handle," he said. "We have to team up!"

The three-eyed man sped off towards Nappa, kicking him in the back as he passed by. Nappa bent forward, staggering to keep his balance, but quickly spun back around and punched at Tien, knocking him backward through the air. As if on cue, however, Yamcha jumped in to pick up where his companion had left off, throwing a Kamehameha at Nappa that sent him off his feet. He, Piccolo, and Krillin all rushed the downed Saiyan, doing all they could to damage him while he was vulnerable, but Nappa simply absorbed their blows with ease. Krillin doubled back, putting more distance between him and Nappa as he threw several ki blasts into the fray, but already the Saiyan was throwing the others back with simple punches, their bodies slamming into rock and rubble strewn around the crater.

"Cherri, c'mon!" he said, glancing over at the girl as he passed her. "We need all the help we can get!"

"I'll do my best!" the girl said, flying up by his side.

"All right, just stay here and do your thing and I'll join them up close!"

Krillin took off towards Nappa, who was easily managing to push Piccolo, Tien, and Yamcha away from him as he fought through the tangle of punches and kicks. Cherri fired several blasts for Nappa as he emerged from the commotion, a few of them glancing off his shoulder and staggering him just in time for Krillin to strike a jab across the side of his face. Already off balance, Nappa began to fall, landing on one knee in the dirt as a cloud of dust emerged from beneath him. Seeing him in this vulnerable state gave Cherri a sudden idea. She ran up to the downed warrior and grabbed onto his back, which roused Nappa from his stupor. He yelped in surprise, staggering to his feet and reaching to try and dislodge the girl. Piccolo glared in frustration while Gohan and Krillin watched in fear, and as she held on longer, Nappa grew much angrier and began to thrash around. The girl concentrated as hard as she could on his Ki, and almost felt as though she could see it burning under her. Nappa's Ki was intense and overpowering, though she didn't feel afraid of it. Rather, she felt that this was familiar, having sensed this in Piccolo's Ki before. She shut her eyes tight, her nails digging into the Saiyan's shoulders as she focused on the task at hand. She felt his Ki begin to drain, and as he grew weaker, she felt her own Ki double and burn within her. Piccolo gasped in shock and stared at the spectacle with wide eyes, feeling Nappa's Ki rapidly drop as Cherri's increased. He couldn't believe she had gained the upper hand, nor could he bring himself to accept that she could singlehandedly down a powerful alien fighter. Nappa dropped to his knees, and Cherri let go of him, wailing in pain as the burning Ki overwhelmed her. She was forced to discharge this intense energy and soon, and she held out her hands toward the giant man and let it go. Her Ki exploded from her palms, knocking her backward and shoving Nappa into the dirt as a great flash of light enveloped him. He groaned, struggling to stand, and felt his knees fail him as he was sent toppling to the earth once more.

Cherri gasped, her own legs suddenly buckling under her weight as her Ki was depleted all at once. She began to plummet, but suddenly stopped when she felt herself being held up by someone. She looked over, seeing Gohan having come to her side to aid her, and she managed a soft smile. Piccolo strode over, his arms folded over his chest as he stared down at his students. The girl stared up at the giant Namekian, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she awaited the fierce scolding that was sure to come. Instead, he simply scoffed and turned to look at Nappa, muttering under his breath.

"I suppose it was satisfactory," he mumbled, "but I don't see why you saw fit to wait until he had the advantage before you came to your senses."

"I did my best! I didn't know it'd work!"

Piccolo froze, his head whipping down to look at her. "So," he began, "you saw fit to launch yourself into a plan you had no faith in. You risked your life all for something you did not know would succeed. How foolhardy."

Cherri glared, turning her gaze to the ground and focusing on her victory. She felt Gohan pat her on the back in congratulations, but their attention was taken by Nappa reaching out to his ally, struggling to drag himself back to the sidelines. Vegeta glared down at the felled warrior and his own hand jutted out as he gathered his Ki into his palm. Cherri froze and watched a ball of energy gather in the small Saiyan's hand, aiming for his previous ally. _He wouldn't_ , she thought, _he couldn't_. Why would he? What motive would he have? Nappa watched him in fear and his outstretched hand began to quake as Vegeta continued to gather energy. "A fallen warrior is of no use," he muttered as he let the blast fly. Cherri tore herself from Gohan's side and used what little energy she had left to fly in the path of the blast. The child yelled and reached for her, but the projectile had connected and exploded in a cloud of dust. Gohan shook as he scanned the area, but he could not see anything.

Piccolo couldn't believe his eyes. His own student had given her life to save the enemy? His ire rose in his throat like bile, and he turned his back on the display. As the cloud disappeared, the small group collectively drew in a gasp of surprise as they saw what awaited them. Nappa looked up at the small girl who had saved his life, and she stood defiantly with her arms outstretched, without a scratch on her. Just beyond her palms was a kind of shield that burned with the last of her Ki.

Vegeta scowled, stomping a foot on the ground as he looked at what was before him. "Impossible!" he cried. "A warrior sparing the life of a conquered foe? Showing mercy when none is demanded!?"

"Is this how your people usually act?" Cherri responded, her voice displaying a tone of offense. "He was only reaching out for help!"

"He shouldn't NEED help! A true Saiyan never stoops to such lows!"

Krillin wiped his brow, panting for breath. "Speaking of help," he said, "when's Goku going to be here?"

Piccolo put a hand to his head, pausing. "It would take him three hours, at this rate," he said.

"Uh…" Krillin began, timidly looking up at Vegeta, "you think we could call a break here until he shows up?"

Vegeta turned to the short warrior with a laugh. "Hah, as if you truly think having Kakarot on your side would help? He couldn't even defeat Raditz, a mere low-class Saiyan far below our likes!" He then stepped back, glaring at the team with a defiant look. "Nevertheless," he began, "I am willing to grant you what you wish. Use the opportunity wisely, and prepare your last words. You'll be needing them."


	12. Chapter 12 - And a Hard Place

Cherri sat by the wounded and exhausted Nappa as she attempted to nurse her own injuries while she watched over him. The girl looked him over, having noticed the bruises and burns over his skin, and she glanced down at her own palms as well. They were red and burnt and showed signs of intense work and effort. The large Saiyan groaned and sat himself up and locked eyes with the woman, his face contorted into a visible sign of confusion and suspicion. She looked back up at him and tilted her head. Their eyes locked for a split second before he turned away and stared down at the ground.

"Why did you spare me?" He questioned her; his voice quivered with uncertainty as he spoke. "Vegeta's right, I shouldn't need help. He's always been right."

"Nothing's worse than someone losing their life over nothing," she replied. Cherri couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, having been locked in a life-or-death struggle with him only minutes prior. She positioned herself in his shadow, basking in the brief respite from the sun beating down on her before he continued.

"I was trying to kill you, so my question still stands."

"Well," the girl began, "I don't want anyone to have to die. That includes you."

Nappa paused as he leaned over a bit and watched the girl closely. She seemed earnest in her words, and he could not see any reason to distrust her in that moment. He cleared his throat in an attempt to lift the awkward silence that plagued them when Piccolo stepped up to the girl, glaring down at her with a rage that was all too familiar.

"What were you THINKING?!" He roared and reached out, his hand clamped down on her arm, and he hoisted her to her feet with a yank. The girl yelped and trembled in his grip, twisting her arm in an attempt to free herself from his grasp. "How dare you freely help the enemy like this! For all you know he could kill us all once he's recovered!"

"There's good in everyone, Piccolo! You taught me that much!"

Piccolo scoffed and let go of her with such force as to push her to the ground, his brief but tight grip on her wrist leaving her with a red mark in the shape of his palm. "Good in everyone? Bah. There's no good in anyone."

"That isn't true!" Nappa stood and wavered on his feet, but he met the eyes of the Namekian. "There's good in her isn't there?! She saved my life!"

Piccolo glared at him and swatted him back to the ground. "Stay out of this," he muttered before he moved back over to where Gohan and the others stood. He didn't have time to waste on this foolishness. Cherri watched him and gripped her chest as she felt something rise within her. She felt her chest ache as she faced such harsh words from someone she looked up to so greatly. Tears welled in her eyes and caused her vision to blur, and she stood to begin to make her way over to Gohan with her head hung low. She felt ashamed and disowned, and it had not gone unnoticed that Piccolo had taken measures to avoid her. Gohan patted her arm to get her attention before he spoke.

"I think you were really brave," he started, "I didn't want him to die either."

"Thanks, Gohan…" She trailed off and sat by him. She reached out and patted his head, and he responded by moving close and resting himself against her side. Time ticked by slowly, each second stretching out for an infinity as the group awaited Goku's return. Soon enough, three hours had ticked by without any sign from Goku, and Vegeta began to grow impatient. He scoffed as he stepped up to the group, a hand resting condescendingly upon his hip.

"Your three hours are up," he spat, "and Kakarot is nowhere to be found. A pity I'll have to finish this without him."

Piccolo stepped up to meet this challenge, and he spoke as he took an aggressive stance. "I'd be happy to finish it," he spat back at the Saiyan, "a pity you had to wait so long."

They both rushed forward, connecting in a flurry of blows, but Vegeta soon began to gain the upper-hand. He smirked confidently as he kicked, his knee swiftly landing at the Namekian's gut and sending him reeling. The motion continued and he feigned a blow before he jabbed at Piccolo's jaw and sent him crashing to the ground. Piccolo was completely taken off-guard by the sheer power Vegeta possessed, and he began to wonder if he was fighting a losing battle. Still, he would not die without a fight, and he picked himself up to continue the onslaught. Vegeta happily obliged him and launched the green man back with a flurry of blows and Ki blasts powerful enough to reduce lesser men to nothing. He staggered and struggled to stand, and Gohan felt his heart hitch in his throat as he watched. If this continued, Piccolo would surely die.

The boy suddenly launched himself for Vegeta, and Cherri followed his lead, both pupils determined to show their teacher both how much they learned, and to also help him survive this battle. Vegeta wasted no time in dismissing the both of them, his arm jutted out to clothesline the girl as she came close. He swatted the boy out of the air like a fly, and shoved him out to the side and out of his way. Annoyed, he pointed his hand out to the child and began to gather his ki into his palm once more. "Stay out of matters that do not concern you!" He shouted as a giant blast burst forth from his hand, aimed straight for Gohan.

Gohan trembled in fear for his short life, a blinding flash filling his field of vision just before he shut his eyes. He began to prepare himself for the end as he moved his hands over his head, but everything seemed to freeze when he heard a shout of pain just in front of him. He opened his eyes to see Piccolo, arms outstretched, taking the blast for the boy.

Cherri and Gohan gasped as he shook and looked up at Vegeta, smirking in brief confidence before he tumbled to the ground, his legs having given out from under him. The girl ran over as Gohan took his place at Piccolo's side, tears streaming down the boy's face in an open display of despair. Cherri felt her chest burn and ache. Her trembling hand rested upon his shoulder as her head pounded, her mind silently crying out in the hope it would keep him alive somehow.

"Oh, the shame," he muttered as he struggled to breathe, "Piccolo, the great incorruptible evil, felled by protecting a child…" He gasped and sputtered as his voice began to fade out with his struggles. Everything began to hurt him; even an act as trivial as breathing put a strain upon his chest. Gohan shook his head and tightly gripped his large, green hand.

"Please, Piccolo, don't die! Dad's gonna be here soon, so don't die!" His voice was choked and strained with his sobs and pleas. In the year he had studied under him, the boy had come to love and admire the Namekian much like his own father. He couldn't bear to see him die for his sake.

Cherri felt her tears fall down her cheeks, and watched as they fell and landed on Piccolo's. He turned up to look at her, his contempt for her moments prior having suddenly vanished into a look of understanding and pain. She trembled as their eyes locked and she fumbled for the right words, finding herself unable to sort out the warring thoughts within her head. The girl gripped his gi tightly as her words came rushing forth, choked and struggling with the violent sobbing she fell victim to.

"Don't go!" She shouted at him, pleading with him and the powers that be. "Please! I'm sorry I wasn't good enough! I'm sorry I saved that Nappa guy! I'm sorry I wasn't enough! I'll be better! I swear I will! So please, don't die!"

Piccolo smiled up at her, and it was the first time the girl could recall ever having seen him smile. "Do not weep for me," he softly chided, "rather, do your best to stay alive. You have always done your best, and I regret to admit I am proud of your improvements. This past year with you two wasn't as bad as I had believed it to be…"

His soft, slow congratulations sent the girl over the edge. Cherri let out a wail akin to an injured animal as she threw her arms around him, sobbing into his great chest. She couldn't believe it. Just moments before, she had wanted to show him how much she had done and could do, wishing she could earn his pride. And now she learned it came at the cost of his life. It wasn't right, she thought, it couldn't end like this. She would give anything if it meant saving the life of the man she looked up to.

Gohan shook as he stared at Piccolo intently, hoping against all hope that a miracle might happen, that he might somehow survive the fatal blow he had suffered. As his friend sobbed and shook, he felt that he noticed something about his mentor. The great, green warrior had shed tears, the last of his pride leaving him for the despair he felt in these last fleeting moments. He was forced to leave everything behind, and now that he no longer cared about conquering the planet, his only concern was the safety of those he held dear to him. He muttered under his breath, "don't die," before his struggled breathing stopped. His eyes closed, and as he lay back, he looked as though he were sleeping peacefully. Gohan froze before he shook Piccolo's shoulder in an attempt to rouse him. Nothing proved successful, and all at once, Gohan realized it. Piccolo had passed.

The great despair he felt soon gave way to a burning rage, a desire to enact revenge upon the one who had killed his dear friend. He channeled this rage into his hands, a great ball of energy swelling up in his small palms. Vegeta froze, the strange device on his face making high-pitched beeping sounds in greater succession as this continued, and Cherri began the same display. They both nodded to each other as they let the blasts fly, Gohan letting out an angry "MASENKO!"

The blasts landed on their mark, and Vegeta was swallowed by a large explosion of light and dust. The two fell to the ground, and Nappa ran over to help them both to their feet. They were exhausted, and hung limply in his arms. It was no struggle to hold them to his chest, one arm for each person, and he examined them both closely. They weren't visibly hurt, but their Ki felt dangerously low. There was no way they could fight in this state. He briefly locked eyes with Vegeta before he dashed back to the sidelines, dropping the child and the girl off with Krillin and a terrified Yamcha. He turned back to Vegeta, his arms raised in a defensive stance. Vegeta scoffed, chuckling to himself in amusement.

"So it's come to this, has it, Nappa?"

"You traitor," Nappa spat, "I trusted you, and you tried to kill me!"

"You're the traitor! And now, I shall kill you just as I have this filthy Namekian! His death destroyed the Dragon Balls, but no matter. Once I am finished with this pitiful planet, I shall venture to Namek to have my desires granted!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

They both began to charge their energy, when, quite suddenly, a great streak of yellow dashed across the sky. A man hopped down from the air and landed between them, getting a good look at everything that had happened. He was tall and dark-haired, wearing a striking orange gi, and he looked grim. He made his way silently over to Gohan, kneeling by him as the child weakly opened his eyes.

"Daddy..!"

"Goku!" Krillin shouted and ran over, smiling wide with eyes full of hope. Their savior had come at long last.


	13. Chapter 13 - Famous Last Words

Cherri found herself gripped with awe as she stared at the man who had just arrived. Nappa stared at him just as intently, their eyes having scanned him for every detail. He was tall, and he looked rather serious, his toned muscles tensing with each rise and fall of his chest. His spiked hair was dark, but it didn't get in his face, and he turned to face Vegeta with an anger the girl had only come to know from Piccolo. Goku's eyes darted over to the fallen Namekian, and he gritted his teeth as he felt the bile rise in his throat. Sure, Piccolo had killed him, but he had proven himself a trustworthy ally when they fought alongside one another. Piccolo had fought with honor, and it was quite clear, looking at this new adversary, that Vegeta had none.

"Oh, so Kakarot returns to join his friend," Vegeta taunted. "I do apologize that I have to kill you again so soon. But I'm going to be enjoying tearing you apart just like I did the Namekian."

Goku gritted his teeth harder, his brows narrowing. His fists began to tremble at his sides, and he tightened them harder, causing his biceps to bulge in turn.

"He died trying to protect your little brat of a son, at that," the shorter Saiyan continued, ignoring the faint ticking noise coming from his scouter. "What a shame that it has to be all for nothing."

Suddenly, Goku let out a ferocious growl, barely holding back the urge to punch Vegeta right then and there. Roaring like a wild animal, he held his arms at the sides and began to charge his Ki, a faint aura surrounding him. Vegeta paused, blinking a few times as he took off his scouter and looked at the reading, as though in disbelief of what he was witnessing.

"Vegeta, what does the scouter say about his power level?" Nappa cried out from the sidelines.

"It's over NINE THOUSAND!" Vegeta roared, his grip tensing around the device until it shattered in his hand in a shower of glass and sparks.

"What? Nine thousand? There's no way that can be right, can it?"

Goku ignored them and let out a battle cry as he launched himself for his foe, his anger palpable in the air around him as he closed in on Vegeta. The Saiyan started, surprised by the sudden movements, and found himself blindsided by Goku's first blow. He flew back and smashed into what was left of a nearby mountain, sending up a blast of pebbles and energy. Vegeta struggled to get to his feet and found that his weight caused his legs to quake under him, though he assumed that to be due to his unholy amounts of pure, blinding rage. He flew back at his foe, each blow having been met with an expert block from Goku. He had spent this past year training in the Otherworld with King Kai, and his power had increased tenfold. He met each of Vegeta's strikes with one of his own, the enraged Saiyan too focused to block in the wake of his burning anger.

Cherri watched as the battle intensified, the energy radiating off of the two hitting her with an intense shock. Each blow was charged with the fury of the respective fighter, and as time ticked on she could see they both grew more and more heated. It was then that, deep within her gut, she felt her own rage build. She hated him more than she had ever hated anyone before. Her eyes watched Vegeta closely, her mind filled with a simple thought. She resolved to kill this man herself. In order to give Piccolo the revenge he deserved, she would kill him with her own hands. Nappa turned to watch the girl, his hand gently clamping down on her dainty shoulder. She looked up at the hulking Saiyan, and he shook his head, silently advising her against jumping into the fray. Cherri sighed audibly and turned her head to the ground, but shot back up when she heard Krillin musing to himself.

"A Saiyan's greatest weakness is his tail, right? So if Goku just grabbed his tail, Vegeta would be powerless!"

It was then that she got a brilliant idea. Using her refilling energy, she launched herself for Vegeta during a break in the brawl, catching him off-guard when her tiny hands clamped around the tail he had curled around his waist. The girl yanked it back, eliciting a surprised grunt from the man she began to grope. It didn't take him long to retaliate as he raised a hand and easily swatted her off of his appendage, sending her toppling to the ground.

"Pathetic," he scoffed, "a lower-breed Saiyan may crumble when one grips his tail, but I have trained myself above such base instincts! A great prince should carry himself no other way!"

Goku gave Cherri a sympathetic look, one which cut the girl to her very bone. It was as if he understood her motives perfectly, almost like he had the same motivation as she. The girl pushed herself to her feet and ran off as fast as they would carry her, clamping onto Nappa's leg like a frightened child when she had brought herself over to the group. She watched the battle closely from the safety of the shadow of the large man, who stooped over to her level in some attempt to comfort her. He was forever in her debt, now that she had saved his life, and he had no intention of letting her come to harm.

Punching Vegeta a distance backwards and sending him staggering, Goku then began to lower himself to the ground. He looked over his shoulder, hearing sirens in the distance as ambulances and fire trucks started to appear over the horizon. "We have to move," he said, "we're endangering the lives of innocent people." He then turned to the others. "As for you, go back to Master Roshi's place! It's too dangerous!"

Cherri, however, would have none of this. She glared at Goku, trying to force her way closer. "No, you can't keep him all to yourself!" she barked. "That's not fair!"

Vegeta blinked in confusion, watching as the girl reached out to grab Goku's pant leg and tugged on it a little. After a while, he smirked. "Heh, I guess the ladies can't keep their hands off me, eh, Kakarot?"

Cherri's face suddenly went bright red, although Goku didn't seem to notice or care. She gritted her teeth, then lunged for him, fist outstretched. "You're right, Vegeta, I can't keep my hands off you!" The blow took the Saiyan prince by surprise, connecting with his nose and causing him to topple backwards in the air. "GAH!" Vegeta cried, glaring, his hands contorting into fists. "I SHALL NOT BE SHOWN UP BY SUCH A WEAKLING AS YOU!" he cried. With a single elbow to her chest, he sent the girl toppling over, hitting the ground with a yelp. With that, he flew straight for Goku, knocking him back with a punch before kicking across the side of his face, knocking him off his feet.

Vegeta stood over the downed warrior and laughed, his arms folded. "You expect that you, a low-class Saiyan, could stand up to your very Prince? You were born with a pitiful power level of 2, not even your own father wanted you!"

"As a matter of fact," Goku began, slowly picking himself back up, "I've grown far beyond that through my training, and I'm here to show you that even a low-class Saiyan can defeat an elite!" Just then, he moved as though to charge his Ki again, but this time called out "KAIO-KEN TIMES TWO!" Suddenly, a crimson aura erupted from the man and surrounded him, bathing him in its light. He quickly rushed towards the distracted Vegeta, punching him with such force to knock him off his feet.

"Hmph. You think you have an edge over me with that? I've encountered similar abilities before, and it won't be anything compared to the power I can summon!" As if to counter Goku's display, Vegeta began charging, the air around him crackling with his energy. In turn, the sky above grew dark, with clouds rolling in. The rocks around him shook and crumbled to dust, while tremors went through the ground beneath their feet. Goku's eyes went wide, and Cherri looked up to witness him showing fear for the first time in as long as she had known him, though that admittedly wasn't much. Nappa's face showed a similar sentiment, and she looked to see him quake in terror of the small man. In the many years she had assumed they had known one another, it was quite possible that he had never seen such immense power come from him. She ran back to him, some part of her unable to bear the sight of him so frightened, and reached up to grab his hand. He visibly jumped in fear, though he allowed her to wrap her small fingers around his large thumb in a gesture of understanding. If they stuck together, then they'd all come out of this alive.

Gohan stepped close to the pair, cowering in fear at Cherri's left-hand side as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders to comfort him. She turned to see Krillin move close to her as well, watching him take solace in the safety of Nappa's shadow. Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu had also stepped up, the small group of acquaintances standing ground together in solidarity as Vegeta showed them all his pure, uninhibited power.

Vegeta lunged towards Goku and immediately began unleashing a series of blows, each one staggering his opponent. Even with the power granted to him by his new technique, Goku could do little to stop Vegeta's assault, and the prince was fighting too fast for Goku to even react. At last, Vegeta sent an uppercut to Goku's jaw that knocked him into the air, flying backwards. Goku managed to stop himself as he flew, just in time to get out of the way of a massive Ki blast that Vegeta had charged in the meantime, the attack just barely grazing him and singing his gi.

Vegeta scoffed, looking up at Goku from the ground. "Your little tricks are nothing compared to the full might of a Saiyan elite!" he shouted. "You have no chance here!"

In that moment, Cherri knew that she had no other choice. It was either intervene or watch the Earth's last hope perish before her eyes. Pushing with all of her might, she fought to get out of Nappa's grip, although the larger Saiyan attempted to hold her back. "What are you doing?" he grunted.

"I'm sorry, but it's what needs to be done!" After a brief struggle, Cherri broke loose and took off at full speed towards Vegeta, who had been too absorbed in his gloating to notice her. Her gaze strayed to his backside, and although she at first tried to admonish herself for paying attention to it at a time like this, she suddenly realized his tail. If what he said was true, he may have been able to overcome his weak point, but there would only be so much he could take. The girl's hands latched onto Vegeta's tail, and she began to pour her Ki into it.

"W-What? What is this..?" Vegeta stuttered as the pain jolted him out of his thoughts. He began to double forward in agony, feeling as though a burning shock was running through his body. The Saiyan fell onto his knees, panting for breath as he struggled to fight through the pain.

"All right, Goku, your move!" Cherri called, and on cue, Goku flew towards Vegeta with a punch aimed for his face, knocking him back, with Cherri getting out of the way just in time. Vegeta flew back and skidded across the sand while Goku turned to the girl with a doofy smile on his face, his arm idly rubbing the back of his head in mild embarrassment.

"Cool trick," he said, "where'd you learn to do that?"

"I just kind of did what felt natural, I guess?"

"It was pretty impressive! I'm Son Goku!" He reached a hand out to her, his smile having grown wider as they briefly spoke.

"I'm...Cherri," the girl stammered before she took his hand, and he shook it very politely. Soon enough, their attention was drawn back to an angry Vegeta as he collected himself once more, his chest heaving with his exhausted breaths. His eyes were wide with anger, his hands balled into tight fists, and his eyebrows were furrowed in absolute rage. He looked like a wild animal.

"This is ENOUGH," he shouted, taking a heavy step toward the two opponents in front of him, "I will finish this now! I can't afford to simply sit by and allow this insult to my pride!"

The Saiyan took off into the air, scanning the darkened sky for anything he could use to his advantage. Minutes ticked by as he stared off into the horizon, when something clicked in his head. "WHERE'S THE GODDAMN MOON!?" he shouted into the air, rage growing more and more by the second. Cherri tilted her head in confusion as she watched him, and she turned her attention to a concerned Nappa on the sidelines.

"Nappa," she called out, "what's he talking about?!"

"If there was a moon out, he could turn into a Great Ape and destroy us all! But since your planet doesn't appear to have a moon, we should be safe!"

Vegeta gritted his teeth and turned to his former ally as he charged a ball of Ki within his palm. He laughed to himself before he responded, each word dripping with the venom of his intentions.

"Oh poor, foolish Nappa," he chided, "you had no idea of this little trick I learned long ago! I've been prepared for a circumstance such as this!"

As he spoke, he hurled the ball of Ki into the sky, which exploded in a contained blast and hovered in the air. Vegeta laughed as the transformation began. He grew larger, his muscles growing thicker as he sprouted thick fur, and morphed into a giant ape creature, much like Gohan had while Cherri was training with him, she remarked to herself. The girl turned, seeing Nappa cover his eyes as Vegeta grew to gigantic proportions. She ran over to him and reached her hands out in concern.

"Nappa," she cried out, "are you hurt?!"

"No," he began, "but if I look at that light I'll turn into one of them too! And then I can't ensure you'd be safe…" His voice trailed off as he looked down at the girl, his face etched with concern that she had never seen before. Cherri felt touched that he would be so worried for her, and she reached out and took his hands in hers to reassure him.

"Nappa, you may be our only hope now! If you can battle him as a Great Ape, then we'd have a chance! You can control it, right?"

"Of course I can! I've trained my whole life to be able to."

"So please," Cherri cried, "fight him on his terms! Let us handle turning him back to normal!"

Nappa paused, but nodded and turned his head up to the faux moon. He felt his body surge with the same energy that Vegeta felt, and he grew in a transformation exactly mirroring Vegeta's very own. The large Saiyan turned to his former ally and growled in anger.

"How dare you," he snarled, "you think you could defeat me?! You're nothing but a low-class punk, Nappa, and you always have been!"

Nappa took his place across from Vegeta and roared like an animal, reaching out to swat him with a gargantuan arm. "I'll show YOU who's low-class, you overblown, pompous JACKASS!"

Cherri froze as they became locked in conflict, and as they traded the first blows, she felt that the real battle was about to begin.


	14. Chapter 14 - The Battle is Won

The battle was a sight unlike any other. Two gargantuan alien monsters fought head-on, tossing one another into adjoining mountains with relative ease, and each blow was met with another that was twice as strong. It looked difficult for them to orient themselves, and they were slow to act, but it was clear to the onlookers that each punch or kick or blast had immeasurable strength behind it. Krillin kept the young Gohan close to him in a gesture of protection, hoping to give the child a place he would feel safe. Tien and his close friend, Chiaotzu, stared down at the strange, red-headed girl that had somehow found her way into this mess. It was a confusing conundrum for certain, but it wasn't something to be discussed here. He would have to remember to ask her about it later, having assumed that they would all make it out of this alive.

Cherri's eyes were locked on the awe-inspiring confrontation in front of her, and she began to pray for Nappa's victory. If he died here, then surely the rest of the planet was next. She was so entranced by the battle she didn't notice a small sound at her side. Krillin tensed when he saw Gohan, his eyes white and his entire form trembling with an intense power as he looked up at the large, fake moon Vegeta had created to initiate his own transformation. He growled and trembled, growing larger by the second, and his entire body sprouted thick hair. The girl looked over, startled by the strained groaning that erupted from beside her, and froze in fear when she saw a brown, furry protrusion from Gohan's backside. His tail had grown back.

"Get away from him," Cherri shouted, breaking in a sprint away from the child as he grew, "his tail grew back! He's going to become one of those things too! Hurry!"

The rest of the small group didn't need to be told twice, and they ran far from the child as his height soon rivaled the two Saiyans locked in combat. The boy roared and charged for them, and his outstretched fist met Vegeta's jaw and caught him off-guard. The great Saiyan Prince reeled, unable to contain his anger any longer, and roared at the child who had lost all sense. Vegeta delivered a stunning backhanded blow to him, but found himself unable to guard against Nappa's next attack as a giant foot connected with his abdomen. One opposing Great Ape was a simple matter, and one he was able to deal with easily, but he was now faced with two, one of which was completely uncontrollable. He was met with devastating blow after blow, though Gohan's unbridled rage was equally directed toward Nappa as well. The large lackey attempted to block the child's punches, and growled with a growing annoyance as his misdirected rage continued.

"Stop it, kid! You should be attacking him, not me! I'm on your side here!"

The large boy paused for a moment and stared at the familiar face of Nappa as he fought with warring thoughts in his mind. Then, he turned to Vegeta, and let his anger out in one mighty blow. Vegeta was sent reeling and he gripped his nose in pain, while Krillin ran up behind the great Prince and took aim. Vegeta soon recovered, and Krillin found himself having to wait as he gathered Ki in his palm, and he held it over his head. The battle he bore witness to was fierce, and he shuddered to think of the despair he felt when his mind drifted to the felled Piccolo. He had been much more powerful than poor Krillin, and he fell with little resistance. But now, in this moment, fate presented the Earthling with a chance to be a hero. He let his determination fuel his blast, and when he was certain that Vegeta was distracted, he let loose a mighty disk of Ki toward the great alien. Letting out a furious battle cry of "Destruco Disc," he watched as the razor-sharp wheel sliced through Vegeta's tail with ease. The mighty Saiyan prince roared in pain and doubled over as he reached around to his wound in an attempt to ease his pain. He felt himself begin to shrink as the horrific transformation over him released its grip, and to everyone watching, it felt like an eternity. The warrior collapsed in a heap on the ground, devoid of energy and back to his original form. The Great Ape Nappa looked down and raised a foot to crush him, but felt himself stop out of some lingering respect for his old partner. He had seen Vegeta grow up over the years into the prince he was today. It was difficult for him to simply end his life now. Vegeta struggled to get to his feet, and when he stood he was met with a furious blow from Goku; his hand had connected squarely with Vegeta's chest and toppled him onto his back. Goku didn't spare him much and released a flurry of blows onto the poor warrior, who grunted and attempted to block as each knocked his senses about.

Nappa struggled to hold the monstrous Gohan back and reached a hand up to swat the offending energy ball from the sky. He felt himself, and the boy in his grip, return to their old selves. He carried the exhausted boy to the sidelines with his newfound allies, and next to the young woman with the blazing red hair whose gaze was locked upon the body of the great Namekian she had come to know over a year. She felt a great rage well up within her, and she knew she had to act fast, or else Goku would kill the man she had sworn to end himself. With what strength she had, she launched herself for Goku, and her hand clamped firmly upon his arm.

"STOP," she shouted with enough force to halt time itself. Goku froze and looked over his shoulder at her, amazed at the determination she showed. The girl continued, "if you kill him now, it wouldn't be fair! I have to be the one to kill him!"

"You're right," the giant man replied, "he's not at full strength. If I killed him, it'd be hollow. Alright, we'll let him go!"

"I didn't say that!" The girl protested, but before she could do anything, Vegeta had pulled his beaten body up from the ground and had begun to drag himself back to his ship. She reached out to pursue him, but Goku stopped the small woman and shook his head. Clearly, nothing she could say now would change his mind, and she blamed herself for it. There was only one solution, she thought to herself as Vegeta's ship launched into the air. She would have to follow him, and end his miserable life with her own hands for what he had done. This was a promise she intended to keep.


	15. Chapter 15 - Hope at Last

Cherri sat in the hospital room that she and her newfound allies had found themselves in and looked around at the damages. Goku had been placed in a full-body cast, but he smiled in a rather goofy fashion despite the situation he found himself in. Krillin and Gohan were also nursing their wounds, but to a much lesser extent than that of the large man who had saved them all from Vegeta's wrath. Krillin helped Gohan with his bandages, making sure the child wasn't uncomfortable, and he grinned down at him. Gohan seemed forlorn, the girl noted, and his gaze never lifted from the floor. Surely he was wracked with guilt and pain from his mentor's sacrifice for him, and Cherri found herself blaming him as well, though she was loathe to admit it. Moving on, she cast her gaze upon Nappa; the large Saiyan was also clad in bandages from head to toe, and it was clear from his wincing that to simply move his arm to take a drink of water caused him pain. Still, despite the beating he suffered, he stuck by their side. There was some good in him after all. The small girl felt like there was good in anyone and everyone, and her proof had become the examples of Piccolo and Nappa. As for herself, she glanced down at her right arm which hung in a cast and sling across her body and lamented her situation. Her leg had also been broken, and she struggled to breathe while her ribs healed from the damage from the brawl. The air in the room was heavy; it exuded an aura of loss that resonated with all present, despite Goku's vain attempts at smiling at his friends.

Cherri couldn't stop a few tears hitting her knees as she stared downward, and she cursed her mind for plaguing her with the memory of Piccolo's death. Over and over, it replayed in her mind like a macabre theater of her failure. She couldn't protect him, despite her rigorous efforts and training, and because of that someone she had come to trust and admire was dead. The feeling of guilt and dread tugged at her heart like a lead weight, her posture suffering for her mood as she leaned over. Quite suddenly, however, her gloom was interrupted by a loud bang signaled the door's opening. It gave way to a woman of average height and striking blue hair pulled back into a ponytail and out of her face. She wore a light yellow shirt that showed off her midsection, and a cropped jacket that bore the logo of Capsule Corp. on the left shoulder. Her pants were baggy and held up over her waist by a modest belt, and she held a strange-looking device in her hand. All heads in the room turned to look at her as she announced her striking news.

"Listen, guys, I figured out the remote to that Saiyan's ship! What's-His-Name? Radish?"

"Raditz," Nappa corrected, and was met with the woman shuffling away from the large Saiyan. She was obviously put off by his presence.

"It's alright, Bulma, he's with us." Krillin extended an arm to calm her as he spoke, and she seemed to take this at face-value with a curt nod. Perhaps her excitement got the better of her? Nevertheless, she reached with her free hand to grab the remote to the television in the room and turn it on. It immediately bore the image of two reporters around a strange-looking pod similar to the one that Vegeta had taken off in. Bulma's face lit up with boundless joy, and she began scanning her eyes across the other remote she had found and tinkered with. She pressed a few buttons, staring into the television with a hope that it would respond to her remote commands the way she thought, but instead it gave a shudder and exploded quite suddenly. Everyone was taken aback by this, moreso the reporters in the area of the craft, and they were left once again without a solution.

"If only we had those so-called Dragon Balls...you said they could grant any wish, right? So we could bring everyone back to life!" Cherri pondered a moment, gazing out the window absentmindedly.

"Yeah, but since Piccolo and Kami died, they disappeared!"

"I know where we could find some." Nappa had caught everyone's attention, and all eyes turned to look at him. He paused a moment before he continued. "The planet Namek is populated by Namekians; the race of people Piccolo belonged to. They have a set of Dragon Balls for use, but we'd have to find a way to fly there."

"And Bulma blew up the one spaceship we had!"

Yamcha huffed from his seat, as he, Tien and Chiaotzu were the only ones who remained relatively unharmed by the events. They had gathered to show support for their companions, but now found themselves embroiled in an intergalactic conflict. Things were getting complicated, quickly, and Cherri struggled to keep things straight in her head.

"I believe I could be of some help," called a voice from the window. The red-haired girl looked up from her bed and yelped in surprise at what she saw. A small, black-skinned being standing outside a third-story window! She covered her mouth and her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"Oh, you have a new friend?" The new visitor asked.

"Yeah, that's Cherri! Piccolo and Gohan met her while they were training, and she decided to join in!"

Bulma stood speechless, similarly perplexed by the man's sudden appearance. He cleared his throat for a moment before he continued.

"I am Mister Popo, Kami's assistant. Former assistant, I should say," he added with noticeable sadness in his voice. "I do believe Kami arrived in a ship capable of space travel, and I could take you there."

Bulma hesitantly spoke up, "I'm the most qualified to look at this thing, so I guess you could take me."

"Wait."

All eyes turned to Cherri, and her expression turned grave. "I want to come too," she demanded. "I need to avenge Piccolo's death. I won't just stay here if it means I won't get to see him ever again."

"Me too," Gohan chimed in, his tiny voice filled with a sense of purpose. They had lost someone dear to them, and they intended to right this wrong. Mister Popo chuckled a moment, surprised by their resolve.

"In your condition, you can't travel," he replied softly, almost scolding them. "I will take Bulma, and maybe she will fix the ship and let you two come along."

"If they're going, I'll go too." This time it was Krillin who added to the cacophony of sudden optimism. "You'll need someone to protect you, if we meet Vegeta that is."

"Good point. Then I'll accompany you guys too. I've known Vegeta since he was a boy, I can help handle him." Nappa beamed with pride, but also excitement, and Cherri felt herself return the grin. She couldn't stay too upset with such enthusiasm filling the room. Everyone agreed and grinned from ear to ear. They were gathering a force to be reckoned with, that's for sure. And they felt invincible.

"I'll ask Dr. Briefs to make me my own personal ship so I can join you guys when I'm all healed!" Goku smiled from his bed. "I don't wanna miss out on an adventure!"

"Alright, alright!" Bulma shouted to command attention, slight irritation tugging at her voice. "But first I'll have to see this ship Popo's promised. Then we'll go from there." She walked over to the window and peered outside, finding that Mister Popo was standing on a flying carpet. He stood aside, allowing her enough space to crawl on beside him. The woman gulped and crawled up onto it, shaking in fear. She expected to fall to the ground at any moment! Once he made sure she was securely holding on, Popo shot off into the horizon, taking a screaming Bulma with him and leaving the group to themselves. They all shared a smile around the room. There was still hope at last.


	16. Chapter 16 - New Frontier

Cherri stalled outside of Gohan's house with Krillin at her side, the pair waiting for Nappa and Gohan to join them so they could get going. Bulma had fixed the ship, and was waiting for them there, but as the minutes turned into hours, Cherri started to grow worried. Maybe his mom wouldn't let him come? It was quite a dangerous journey for someone his age. Just when she thought to leave, Gohan stepped outside wearing a suit and tie, and his hair had been given a bowl cut. She had to clasp a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing, and it was clear by his sour expression that Gohan didn't enjoy it.

"What's with the getup," Krillin inquired, eyebrow cocked in confusion.

"My mom's idea."

"I wanted him to make a good first impression! This is a momentous occasion, you know. Our first real contact with another planet, so I don't want Gohan to be unprepared."

His mother peeked her head out of a nearby window, her dark hair pulled into a bun behind her head. Cherri noticed that she was quite pretty, and she could see in a passing glance why Goku would have asked her to marry him. They _were_ married, right?

"If I had _everything_ my way, he wouldn't be going at all. But, he wouldn't let me hear the end of it, so I suppose I can't keep him. If I did, he'd just find a way to sneak out."

Gohan blushed a little and averted his eyes. He was shy, surely, but he also betrayed his mother's words to be true. Seems he had every intention of sneaking out if she forbade him to leave. Cherri smiled at him with an outstretched hand - the one previously broken - and Gohan leapt to her arms in an embrace. She was glad he was okay, and he shared the same sentiment. Krillin felt himself grin and take in the lax atmosphere, but he was jolted from his relaxation by his friend pulling him into the hug. He let out a small noise of surprise, but told himself 'what the hell', and joined in proper. It wasn't long before they heard a sharp whirring and whooshing noise behind them, and they all turned their heads to look.

It was Bulma, who had flown their newly-acquired spaceship to pick them up. She landed it with the expertise of an experienced pilot, and waved at them from the pilot's chair through the windshield. It wasn't long before Nappa joined them himself - the hulking Saiyan had landed just behind Bulma by sheer coincidence, and he waved sheepishly at the shorter Earthlings he now called his comrades. He attempted a smile, which came off as a grimace more than anything, and Gohan shrank back behind Cherri and Krillin. He was still afraid, it seemed.

Cherri was the first to walk up to him, her packed backpack slung over her shoulder, and hold out her hand. He gladly shook it; he took her hand ever so gently, each movement purposeful, as though he was afraid he would rip her arm off if he wasn't careful. She barely came up to his bellybutton, and thus he concluded this fear was not entirely unfounded.

"It's good to see you're better, Nappa."

"I could say the same to you."

They both smiled at one another, Cherri grateful that Nappa could have survived, and Nappa grateful that she advocated to save his life. Their moment together was nice, but they were jolted from their stupor by Bulma shouting down at them from inside the ship.

"Hurry it up, we need to get going!" She opened the hatch to allow them inside, and everyone filed in - Nappa having to duck down so he wouldn't hit his head. Once they arrived on what could only be described as the bridge of the ship, they noticed that Bulma was wearing a spacesuit. The others shared a laugh amongst themselves; Nappa had chosen to wear his armor, though it was broken from his original encounter with the ragtag group of fighters, Gohan had packed a change of clothes he himself had made, and Krillin and Cherri were dressed casually, choosing to wear a ball cap, shirt and jeans, and a purple tank-top with jean shorts, respectively. Bulma's face went red and heated in her embarrassment, but she turned back to the controls and strapped herself in in a huff.

"Everyone buckle up," she demanded, "it'll be a rough takeoff."

Her passengers took their seats. Krillin and Gohan sat side-by-side, and Cherri and Nappa did the same. Once she was certain everyone was securely fastened, Bulma began the launch sequence. It didn't take long for her to issue a simple voice command: "Takeoff!"

And with that, the ship took flight. Cherri gritted her teeth and dug her nails into the armrests of her seat. She quickly felt nauseous as the ship climbed in altitude. The poor girl wasn't used to anything like this, and was totally out of her element. She even began to regret her decision. Cherri shut her eyes tightly, trying to block it out until they breached the atmosphere. She took deep breaths, and any sound was drowned out by her blood rushing through her ears. It was overwhelming. She felt her head begin to spin, and she was sure it was altitude sickness or something similar.

Just then, on the brink of exhaustion and unconsciousness, she felt a large hand lightly fall onto her shoulder. She jumped in her seat, and her eyes snapped open. She stared out the windshield, and what greeted her eyes was the vast expanse of space, illuminated by millions upon billions of stars. In those stars, she felt her eye drawn to a twinkling, green light. She stared at it intently, and Nappa roused her from her concentration.

"That's Namek, where we're going. Bulma went to change, she said the autopilot can take it from here."

She nodded slowly, showing she understood, but she was still overtaken by awe. She lightly fumbled with her seatbelt, but she eventually worked it free and stood up, looking over to her side. She saw Gohan, wearing a purple gi and blue obi, and she felt her eyes well up with tears a moment. It was just like Piccolo's old uniform.

"I made it myself," Gohan piped up, "do you like it?"

"...Yeah. Yeah, it's nice. Good job, Gohan!"

Cherri grinned and sat by him, looking up at Nappa, who also took his seat by the group. They stared out the windows as the ship drifted into space, wondering what awaited them on the small, shimmering green planet in the distance. The girl leaned against Nappa's arm, using the large Saiyan to hold herself up, almost like a chair. She felt him go rigid, but he made no movement to stop her. He was in her debt, after all, and she wasn't hurting anything. He may as well allow it.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Vegeta and I saw this all the time when we travelled around together, and I sort of got used to it. I never really got to enjoy it like this."

Cherri hesitated a moment before replying. "I'm sorry about what happened with Vegeta," she muttered. "I didn't want it to come to that, really. Well, I don't know exactly what I expected to happen, and I was scared everyone would die, but I'm glad most everyone made it out okay."

"Yeah." Nappa nodded. "It wasn't your fault, so don't worry about it. I'm sorry about the Namekian…" He trailed off. The large Saiyan looked down at the girl he spoke to, and saw her wiping a wetness from her eyes.

"It's going to be okay," she muttered through choked tears, "I know it. We'll bring Piccolo back, and it'll be alright. I just know it."

Gohan pulled himself to her other side and nodded emphatically. He was sure of it as well. Krillin and Nappa shared a glance of uncertainty, but if these two were so sure of it, they had no real choice but to believe them. After all, doubt would get them nowhere.


	17. Chapter 17 - Green Marble

It had to have been at least a month since they left. Without a planet to have any sense of time, Cherri had no real idea of how long the journey had truly been thus far. All she knew was that she was mind-numbingly bored. She grunted from the floor where she had been doing push-ups to pass the time, each one costing her more energy to complete than the last. Sweat dripped from her face and glued her hair to her neck, but she was determined to improve. She had to get stronger if she was ever going to keep everyone safe.

The girl felt Nappa's eyes on her as she pushed herself. Krillin, Gohan and Bulma had gone into another room, the two boys presumably going to keep an eye on the increasingly inebriated Bulma. It seemed that Nappa had opted to keep an eye on Cherri instead. She felt her breathing become ragged as the minutes ticked by. Her arms felt like they were on fire, and her lungs ached with each breath.

"Don't give up. Keep going. You'll get better."

Nappa has spoken up now, seeing her begin to struggle. He crossed his gargantuan arms and watched closer. Cherri groaned, but pushed herself onward, and that's when she had noticed it. She had done at least 100 push-ups. The girl smiled, and sunk to the floor for another push-up. She pushed hard, but couldn't bring herself to lean back up. Her arms screamed at her to stop - she couldn't keep this up. Cherri heaved and gasped for air, and her struggles were met by a disapproving Nappa.

"Don't stop now, you can keep going. You'd be worthless as a Saiyan!"

Cherri let herself fall to the floor and grunted as a bit of air left her lungs. She pushed herself upright with some effort, but sat up and glared over at him.

"I'm not a Saiyan. I'm from Earth."

"You had best improve yourself quickly! We need the strength of at least another Saiyan to take down Vegeta, if things go bad."

"I'm not a Saiyan," she repeated, "and I never will be! You'd better just get used to that."

They glared at each other for a moment. Cherri turned her nose up at him and crossed her legs, shutting her eyes tight to block him out. Taking deep breaths, she intended to calm herself through the art of meditation. She had learned it from Piccolo, and resolved to practice whenever she could. The pain in her limbs melted away, and she began to relax. Right now, as she was, nothing could disturb her.

The huge Saiyan watching her jolted a moment and his eyes shot wide open in surprise. As her meditation wore on, he felt a sharp increase of energy coming from the girl. This was something he had never seen before! Such latent power hiding within someone so small and delicate? It wasn't possible! Even if it was, he resolved, she would have no way of truly harnessing it. She couldn't pose any real threat, right?

"Cherri, is everything okay up here-?!" Krillin shouted as he nearly kicked down the southern door, eyes full of concern. He froze when he saw she was fine, and even Nappa was surprised. The sudden discharge of energy was coming...from her?! How could her Ki become so intense in such a short amount of time? Is this what Piccolo taught her? How strange.

Cherri let herself focus on her energy during her meditation sessions. She took deep breaths and concentrated her Ki, letting it bathe her body in a controlled storm of energy. She felt powerful like this. She felt closer to Piccolo, and to Gohan. There was almost no better way to pass the time, to her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and lurched back to reality, looking over at Krillin in fear. She calmed herself after a moment, smiling at her noseless friend.

"Everything okay?"

"I was just about to ask you that! Are you okay?"

"Of course I am!" Cherri grinned and reached her hand out, delivering a light smack onto his dotted forehead. "You're being weird, Krillin."

He grinned and wrapped an arm around her neck very gently, digging his free knuckles into the top of her head and ruffling her already wild, red hair.

"I'll show you!"

The girl laughed and swatted his chest gently. She was trapped, surely! He eventually let her go, and she fell backwards onto her rear end, laughing all the while. Nappa sat perplexed. Is this how Earthlings interacted? Saiyans would never stoop so low and act so...silly. How ridiculous. He turned away, but found himself wondering about something. Would they fool around with him like that some day? He shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts away. "No," he resolved, "I'm above such silliness." Nappa turned his head to the windshield and stopped, almost frozen where he sat.

"Look," he muttered, and pointed out the window. The two Earthlings turned to look, and they, too, were gripped with awe. Before their eyes was a large green sphere, white clouds dancing across its surface in an elaborate waltz that felt like something out of a work of art. Cherri and Krillin held onto one another in some sort of effort to anchor them in reality. It was beautiful in ways that they had never known before. The girl felt her heart beat like lightning, and her hands began to shake.

"That's…"

"Yeah. That's Namek. We made it."


	18. Chapter 18 - Trouble in Paradise

A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! I had a massive dip in inspiration/willingness to write for this thing, but I decided to come back to it after a massive progress loss. I hope it holds up!

Bulma stepped onto the bridge and rubbed her head. The glaze in her eyes was indicative of a hangover. Cherri sighed and, wondering if she had been drinking this entire time, cleared her throat. Bulma started a moment and turned to look at the small girl.

"What?!"

"We made it to Namek, Bulma. We need you to land this ship."

"We made it to-?!"

Bulma jolted and turned to look at the big green marble floating in the starry void of space. It was immense, and awe inspiring; most importantly, it was coming closer! She ran to the controls and began to take the ship down to land. Cherri kept close to the others, the tension in her nearly palpable. They made it, but what would await them here? This is where Piccolo came from - his home world. Would everyone be mean like him? She felt Nappa's hand on her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her, and she craned her head to look up at him. He offered an awkward smile and thumbs-up. "Don't worry! I'm sure it'll be fine."

Cherri paused and nodded, smiling in her own awkward way. She was grateful to have him and the others at her side. She was grateful to be here in the first place. "I'll do my best to help bring Mr. Piccolo back."

The ship touched down soon after, and the intrepid crew began to make their way outside. Cherri took a deep breath of the Namekian air - breathable, thank goodness, and refreshing. The scenery was awe-inspiring; vast, green skies stretched over the horizon, which itself was decorated with soft blue shrubbery and trees. She could feel the lush grass under her feet as she stepped down from the ship, and looked out at the cliffs and hills that went out as far as the eye could see.

"There's no time to waste," Bulma said, looking down at the Dragon Radar in her hand. "We've got to find the Dragon Balls soon-"

"You're right about that," Nappa added. "Vegeta's going to be after them too."

Hearing that name, Cherri's blood ran cold. She had witnessed the cruelty Vegeta had fought with, caring for nothing but his own power and success. If someone like him had the Dragon Balls - no, that was something she didn't even want to think about.

The five of them started down the path, taking Bulma's lead as she kept her gaze on the radar in her hands. The journey took them over vast stretches of wilderness - it seemed almost the entire planet was made up of stretches of this blue grass, interspersed with green waters. Soon, though, they came around the corner of a small bluff to see a cluster of dome-shaped huts in the distance, at the bottom of the rise they stood on.

"So, that's what a Namekian house looks like?" Cherri mused to herself. "It's...quaint."

"The Radar says we're getting close," Bulma added, to which Krillin completed her thought: "Yeah, the Dragon Ball must be in that village. We should get a closer look."

They made their way to the edge of the cliff, stopping to survey the area from a higher vantage. However, what they saw below surprised them. The village seemed oddly quiet - but most strikingly, three strange beings stood amidst the huts. One resembled a tall, chiseled man with strikingly handsome features, his skin a pale blue and his braided hair a deep green, who wore a cape over his shoulders, while in stark contrast, he faced a short and obese alien with thorny pink skin. Between the two of them, a diminutive alien with pale skin and wide, straight horns sat in a floating throne, seeming to be directing the two of them. All of them wore armor with wide shoulder pads, not unlike that Nappa and Vegeta had worn.

Before any of the investigators got a chance to say anything, Nappa was quick to shove them behind a rock formation, blocking the view from below. "Shh, hide-!" he said. As she ducked behind the rocks, Cherri peered out through the cracks, trying to get a better idea of what was going on below.

Krillin leaned in closer, inspecting the scene. "They're too far to make out anything they're saying," he said, "but that short guy is definitely the one in charge-"

"Short guy?" Nappa spoke up. "You're talking about Lord Frieza himself! If you thought Vegeta was powerful, you've got no idea-"

"Gah, you can say that again-!" Krillin said as he reeled back from the edge of the cliff. "I can already feel his power, and it's immense!"

Cherri trembled in place and watched them closely. If she focused in, the power she felt radiating off of the figures below was palpable, enough to give her a headache and cause a faint ringing in her ears. Vegeta and Nappa, even Goku, wielded considerable power, but this was like nothing she'd ever felt before. She had to brace herself against the side of the rock to keep herself from getting overpowered.

"Wait a second, I think I see something else…" Krillin leaned his head out from behind the rocks, trying to get a closer look at the aliens below. Just then, the light of the sun caught something on them, something that gave off a distinct glint. Sure enough, he saw, the two of them were each carrying a Dragon Ball under each arm - a Dragon Ball far larger than those he was used to, of course, but there was no mistaking it. His eyes went wide at the thought of it. Had they beaten them there?

Stopping him in mid-thought, the pink creature turned suddenly, looking back at the cliff. Krillin ducked back behind the rocks as quickly as he could, huddling against the others to try and keep themselves hidden.

"Did you see anything, Dodoria?" Frieza announced from his seat.

"I detected some sort of power level - a very weak and insignificant one. But it was probably just a bird, or some kind of rodent anyway," the alien said as he turned his attention back towards his master. Cherri's face went red at that comment, but she managed to stop herself from speaking her offense. She looked over at the rest of the party, her gaze landing on Gohan, who was trembling where he sat.

"Don't make any sudden movements," Krillin whispered to him, "or we're as good as dead if they see us!"

Eventually, they managed to summon the courage to look back out from behind the rock, seeing that another alien in similar armor had stepped up to the village square. Being careful not to give away their location, they listened in closely in the hopes of picking something up.

"Lord Frieza," the soldier announced, "we've noticed five Namekians within this village."

"Is that so?"

Following the conversation, Cherri's eyes followed to where another soldier was holding a strange alien gun of some kind in the doorway of one of the huts. "Come out now!" he barked. "If you get out here, we won't have to burn the place down!"

Sure enough, the beings that emerged from the house were Namekians - like Piccolo, they shared the green complexion and antennae. But Cherri could recognize what was different. Piccolo was a warrior - he stood tall, even to someone like her who was used to being towered over by everyone, and he had the physique of a martial artist. But to her horror, the Namekians that exited the house were children, followed by an elderly man.

"W-What are they-?" she stammered, only to have Nappa put a hand over her mouth.

"So, the reports of my men were correct," Frieza began. "There are indeed Namekians here. I feel I deserve no introduction, but I am feeling generous. I am Lord Frieza, soon to be the new owner of this planet. But before we get to business - our scouters reported more than just five Namekians here. Tell me, where are the others hiding?"

Cherri's eyes widened as she stifled a gasp at the back of her throat, watching what happened next. The Namekians stood silent, even as Frieza's soldiers jostled at them. But their self-declared lord was undeterred, raising a finger and balancing a small ball of energy on its end.

"I'll be happy to get the information out of you myself, if you don't come forth with it."


	19. Chapter 19 - Rescue!

After a moment of tense silence, the elder Namekian spoke in a strange language, one none of them could make out a word of. The soldiers stood in silence, but Frieza rose his voice, his brow narrowing.

"Now, now," he said, "don't try to fool me! I know that your kind can speak the common tongue. Do you care to repeat that, old man?"

With a huff, the Namekian continued. "There are only children and the elderly here," he said. "The able-bodied citizens are off working in the fields. Does that satisfy you?"

"You're wasting my time - I'll tell you what satisfies me," Frieza said with a grumble. "I want this village's Dragon Ball!"

"Dragon Ball?" The elder said. "I...don't know what you're talking about."

"Dodoria…" Frieza began, sitting back in his throne, "do you recall the last Namekian who told us that? He said he didn't know what a Dragon Ball was either, but when we started to make an example of his people, he was quick to tell us how he'd give them only to those who had passed his tests. And then he still wouldn't hand the thing over - but I got it anyway, after I killed him myself."

Listening in on what was going on below them, Cherri and Gohan drew closer together, tense. She couldn't believe that anyone could be so cruel - just the thought of it was stirring anger inside her.

"That's because we would never give the Dragon Balls to the likes of you!" Another elder Namekian said, stepping up to the scene. Frieza, however, simply glanced over at him with a smile.

"You underestimate my power of persuasion," the seated alien said. "Zarbon, if you wouldn't mind doing the honors?"

With one swift motion, the blue-skinned man stepped forward and performed a sweeping kick straight into the neck of one of the Namekians. The elder's head cracked back with a loud snap before he dropped motionless to the ground. Another one of the elders, pushing through the crowd before him, sent a blast of ki towards Zarbon, but he dodged to the side, throwing one of the Dragon Balls he held under his arm into the sky and using his now-free hand to launch a blast of his own into the Namekian, sending him sprawled lifelessly on his back. The orb dropped back into his grasp, and he returned to Frieza's side as though nothing had happened.

Gohan trembled at the sight of it. "We have to help them!" He said.

"Not even I could take on Frieza," came Nappa's reply. "And we need to keep our power levels down, or they'll be able to sense us." Krillin, meanwhile, tore grass out of the ground in frustration, doing his best to keep himself occupied.

"Why do you even want the Dragon Ball?" the elder that had spoken first continued. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" Frieza replied, his tone incredulous. "Because I must wish for eternal life! Someone as powerful as I cannot simply let myself fade with the ages!"

"Eternal life?" Krillin whispered. "But that's what Vegeta-"

"We weren't really ever on Frieza's side," Nappa interjected. "Vegeta...does what he wants."

"We'd never give the Dragon Ball to anyone with such selfish wishes," the elder said to Frieza, crossing his arms in defiance.

"Oh, would your tone change if the lives of the children were at stake?" Frieza raised his hand, it starting to glow with gathering energy. The elder moved defensively in front of the children, who cowered behind him, huddling close against his form.

At this, Gohan's trembling grew even more violent, and he had to grind his teeth together to stifle the scream at the back of his throat. To the shock of those around him, they could feel a power level starting to build in the area.

"Gohan, don't-" Cherri began. Sure enough, from the valley below, Dodoria looked off. "There it is again. I think someone's nearby," he mused. His taller companion nodded to him. "Perhaps we should look into that."

The party up on the cliff tensed at the thought, but before anything else happened, three more Namekians charged the village - these ones built similar to Piccolo, surely the warriors of the village. They stood down Frieza's men, ready to fight.

"Oh, so you're the warriors I heard about?" Frieza chided. "I must applaud you on your entrance, but it's hardly a timely one. I'm sure that these fellows could have used the help earlier," he added, gesturing to the fallen elders.

Diverting attention to the new arrivals, Dodoria glanced at them through the scouter he wore. A moment later, he burst into laughter. "1000?" He scoffed. "That's your power level, 1000?" The rest of Frieza's forces joined in with this, amazed that these warriors thought they could stand a chance against them at all.

The alien army charged for the Namekians. "You'd be better off fighting old grannies!" One of them jeered. But he was met with a sharp kick to the face as he came near, sending him flying through a nearby tree and into the side of a cliff. Even as the soldiers fired off shot after shot into the charging Namekians, they simply deflected their blasts back at them before laying waste to the ranks in hand-to-hand combat.

Shocked at the display, Dodoria looked back at his scouter. "What? 3000!?" he exclaimed in surprise. "They tricked us! They've been hiding their true power!"

Soon enough, the tyrant's soldiers were lying dead around the center of the village. The warriors flexed in an attempt to frighten the lord himself, but they were met with his laughter rather than his fear. "Dodoria, I've had enough of these silly games," he said. "Kill them."

Dodoria stepped closer, starting to charge a blast in his hand, but the elder fired one back at him, blowing the scouter straight off his face. This only made the spiny alien angry, as he drew a talon from his finger and lunged for the Namekian.

"Stop, Dodoria," Frieza called out, causing his lieutenant to stop in place with a grumble. "Before you deal with the elder, you might as well take care of the warriors first."

As Dodoria turned his attention to the gathered Namekians, one of the warriors spoke up. "You're outnumbered," he boomed. But this didn't phase Dodoria, who retorted with a quip of his own. "I could handle twelve of you."

With one swift motion, Dodoria swung behind the Namekian and slammed a fist straight through his chest before sending an elbow into the next warrior and obliterating him with a blast of ki from his mouth. The remaining warrior dodged his strikes and sent a blast of ki down at Dodoria, setting off an explosion where it landed, but the alien emerged with a headbutt that sent his opponent straight into a cliff, crumpling his chest against his skull.

"You see," Frieza addressed the elder, "it's useless to try and resist. Hand over the Dragon Ball, now!"

"...Fine," the elder muttered, "you can have the Ball, so long as you leave me, and the children, in peace." To the overlord's approval, he disappeared into his house, returning with a Dragon Ball in tow. "Now go, and leave us be."

"Not so fast," Frieza said after taking the sphere from him. "Seeing as you've left my men without their scouters, we now have no way of tracking the rest of the Dragon Balls. Tell us where the rest of them are, or we'll beat them out of you!" As if to demonstrate this, Dodoria jabbed his elbow into the old Namekian's face, sending him toppling back.

The two children shivered with fear as they drew closer against one another. "You...you monster-!" One of them gasped, looking up at Frieza.

Even with this unfolding, the elder faced his assailant with defiance. "No, I won't tell you," he said. "Even if I did let you go, you wouldn't honor the deal, would you?"

Frieza chuckled to himself as his clawed fingers idly tapped over the ball's surface. "How insightful of you," he murmured.

Zarbon huffed at his master's side, crossing his arms. "You're wasting time," he said. "We can find the Dragon Balls even without his help."

"Yes, Zarbon, you're right," Frieza announced. "So you may feel free to take care of them."

"W-What..!?" Cherri exclaimed, taken aback by the brutality Frieza displayed. She never thought - or she didn't want to believe - that anyone was even capable of being so careless. Yet here it was on full display.

The elder glanced back at the two children, urging them to run as Dodoria stormed towards him. The alien sent a blast of energy from his mouth, but as its intended target paused to flinch for just a brief moment, the beam went straight over him and impacted on one of the children instead, knocking him to the ground dead. Gohan and Krillin gasped, jumping back from the rock as Frieza's henchman went on to assault the elder, as though nothing had happened. Dodoria seemed to split into three copies of himself, surrounding and cornering the old Namekian, and while he looked around in a stupor, Dodoria closed in and snapped his neck where he stood.

The child recoiled from the scene, falling back and screaming. But his scream was joined by Cherri's, as she jumped out from behind the rock formation with a cry not of fear, but of anger. She could take no more, even despite protests from the others. Something had to be done.

Still taking advantage of Dodoria's confusion, Cherri launched herself off the edge of the cliff, meeting Dodoria's face with a kick across his jaw. As the pink creature stumbled back, she dove for the remaining Namekian, scooping him up in her arms as she sped off.

"What!? Where did she come from!?" Dodoria exclaimed. "Get her!"

Seeing no choice, Krillin, Gohan, and Nappa joined in after Cherri's lead, flying along with her as she flew for the distance with nothing else in sight. But Dodoria took off after them, in hot pursuit. Soon, he was gaining on the four of them, even with them going as fast as they could.

"Quick, we need to outrun him!" Krillin shouted back at them. "It's the only way!" Following his lead, the party charged their ki, using it to propel themselves onward with a burst of speed. But Dodoria matched their move, sending out a series of ki blasts after them.

Staying a step ahead, they swerved around the incoming blasts, maneuvering out of their way. But just then, at the last minute, one of the blasts clipped Cherri's side. With a gasp, she released her hold on the boy, sending him toppling to the ground.

Cherri let out a gasp, her eyes going wide. "Hold on-!" She cried, diving after the young Namekian, but as she swooped down, she found herself halted in place. Dodoria had caught onto her ankle, stopping her advance. The girl went tense as she looked behind her, seeing the alien dragging her back away from the child.

Just then, Gohan zoomed past the two of them, swinging his elbow into Dodoria to knock him back off of Cherri before he grabbed the boy and took off. Together, he and Cherri flew to the top of a cliff, dropping down to catch their breath.

"Cherri, hurry!" Krillin called from below. "He's still gaining-!" Sure enough, the blow had only served to slow Dodoria down, and he was still advancing on them. As he drew near, he opened his mouth wide, starting to charge a glowing ball of energy at the back of his throat. All present knew exactly what that meant. As the beam shot by them, the party scattered, dodging around the pillar of ki that smashed into the cliff ahead of them, shaking rocks down from its face.

"Hold on, everyone," Krillin said as he started to catch up with his companions. "I know how we can slow him down!" Suddenly stopping in midair, he spun back around to face the advancing Dodoria, staring him down.

"Krillin, no!" Cherri cried out as she looked back at him. "What are you doing?"

Nappa kept up his stride, pulling Cherri along with him as he flew for the distance. But the girl's eyes were fixed behind her, as Krillin seemed locked in place even as Dodoria was gaining on him by the second. At the very last minute, he held his hands up to his forehead.

"SOLAR FLARE!"

A flash of bright light went off from where Krillin was, sending Dodoria back clutching his eyes. Using the window of opportunity, Krillin took off for where the others were, diving into a small cave on the side of a cliff. There, they huddled against the wall, catching their breath in the brief window of quiet this provided.


	20. Chapter 20 - Familiar Face

A/N: sorry this one's a long one! I couldn't help myself this time around, also fixed an inconsistency

* * *

Cherri and the others trembled against the cold stone of the crevice they found themselves in, the only sound able to echo off the cave walls being the soft panting for breath from each fighter. The young woman clung to the small Namekian she saved; her grip was gentle, but firm, akin to a worried mother over her injured child. She concentrated as much as she could on keeping her ki low, but she found even this simple task difficult. Her mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts; what could she have done to save the others? If she had acted earlier, could they have prevented all those deaths? And those warriors - the way they all looked, lying dead at the feet of that tyrant, stirred uncomfortable and morbid feelings within her. She remembered what happened all those months ago. She remembered Piccolo's face. She remembered his cold body and his sacrifice.

The young alien boy looked up as he felt wet drops fall onto his head and antennae - up into the crying eyes of the girl who just saved his life. Her cries were quiet and restrained, and her shoulders heaved as her attempts to restrain her emotions failed her. He silently reached a hand up to her to catch her attention. His small green fingers tugged at her gi, and she stopped to look down at him with wide, red eyes. There was a pressing issue now, and that was finding the remaining Dragon Balls before that Frieza character could.

"A-Are you alright," Cherri stammered, "you're not hurt are you?"

"No. Thanks to you, I'm okay."

"Thank goodness..." She breathed a sigh of relief as her voice trailed off. She loosened her grip and turned her attention to Nappa and the others. "We need to go back for Bulma. We left her behind, and she can't defend herself with that guy and his goons running around."

"Not to mention she has the Dragon Radar!"

Cherri gulped, turning her attention to the others. "Er...I know it might be dangerous," she stammered, "but...maybe it'd be best for us to split up? If we try to stay quiet, and keep our ki low, maybe we can cover the area…"

"Hmm...right," Krillin said, thinking over the idea but soon reaching an agreement with the girl. He turned his attention to the Namekian child in Cherri's arms. "Hey, kid," he asked. "Can you fly?"

"My name's Dende," he responded, "and yeah, I can." As if to demonstrate, he started to levitate a little off the ground in front of them.

"Good," Krillin replied. "You're gonna have to be extra careful with those goons around, but do you think you could help us look for our friend?"

"I can do my best…" Dende said with a nod. His gaze strayed around him for a moment, looking over at his newfound saviors, and resting for a moment on Cherri. But the redhead briefly went tense, as if the look in his eyes reminded her of something. Nevertheless, as soon as they were certain that they were free of any prying eyes, the team crept outside, gathering up.

"You go this way, and I'll go that way," Krillin said, gesturing in all directions. "Gohan, you and Dende can go together for protection, and Cherri...that way, got it?"

"I'll try," she said with a nod, gently lifting up from the ground and flying away in the direction Krillin had indicated. She stayed close to the sides of the cliffs as she passed by, using the cover of trees whenever she could. For a while, all was quiet, something that Cherri thanked, though the impression wasn't without a tinge of anxiety at what might happen. Then, though, she saw something she recognized all too well, below her at the side of a lake.

It was Vegeta, the Saiyan prince's tall - Cherri would even go so far as to call it ridiculous - hairstyle instantly recognizable. He was standing by the side of the water, gloating over some unseen presence beneath it. As the water rippled, Cherri saw from beneath its surface emerged Dodoria, the same lieutenant of Frieza she had encountered prior. She gasped, but pulled as close as she could behind the nearest cliff to survey from afar. What could Vegeta possibly be doing?

"I'd been waiting for you to stray away from your fellow worms so that I could rip you limb from limb," the Saiyan growled to the rotund alien. "And now, it looks like I finally have my chance."

"What is this-?" Dodoria shouted back, shaking himself back to his senses. "Get out of here now, if you don't want to end up like those Namekians!"

Vegeta simply scoffed, stepping back as he crossed his arms. "It's almost charming that you think I'd be afraid of you," he muttered. "Go ahead, do your worst!"

However, Dodoria didn't attack - he stepped back, composing himself. "Well," he said, "perhaps if you give me that scouter of yours, I can forgive your arrogance!"

"Then here it is," Vegeta sneered back, taking the scouter off and throwing it to the ground before smashing it under his foot.

"Hey!" The alien cried, "I needed that to track the Dragon Balls!"

Vegeta's glare narrowed as he stared his former ally in the face. "I'm sure you're aware of this by now," he began, "since I took out the last one of you who stood in my way, but I'm more powerful now than I was before. And now, I can sense power levels on my own - I don't need a scouter!"

Dodoria trembled, panting under his breath as he started to back nervously away from the prince. "So what Zarbon said, about how a Saiyan grows more powerful after every brush with death-" he stammered. "No!" he suddenly interjected, his fists shaking with rage at his sides. "It can't be true! You're alone now that that over-muscled cretin is tailing that girl - I can take you any day!"

"What? Nappa's with-?" Vegeta gasped. "...Hmph! Not like I ever needed him!" Dodoria caught a glimpse of emotion on his opponent's face, one he could only place as betrayal. Vegeta felt his anger and disappointment bubble under his skin. He would have to talk to Nappa.

No sooner had Vegeta finished his thought when Dodoria drew his hands back, stretching his fingers out as a faint blue glow started to envelop his hands and quickly spread into a vibrant aura. Leaning forward, the alien's arms thrust out and let the gathered energy loose in a flurry of bright bolts, which trailed straight for Vegeta. Cherri soon found her vision blocked as the blasts made their impact on Vegeta's body and into the ground around him, a cloud of dirt and broken earth shooting up from each one that hit the ground. Now, a thin curtain of debris was floating down around where Vegeta once was, twirling through the air before it gently settled on the ground.

But when this cloud settled, Vegeta wasn't there - in fact, he had swung around to get behind Dodoria. It only took a single blink of Cherri's eye for him to act, striking like a coiled cobra propelled by his pent-up aggression as his arms shot out to grab Dodoria by the wrists and held his hands behind his back. Frieza's lieutenant tried to pull himself free, throwing his body back and forth like a struggling animal caught in a trap, but Vegeta's grip was too strong, and soon Dodoria was panting and wide-eyed in shock. "Wait, wait-!" he pleaded, "please, don't kill me-! If...if you let me live, then I'll tell you about what happened to Planet Vegeta!"

"What!?" Vegeta shouted, suddenly shoving his foe onto the ground. "Tell me! Right now!"

"It wasn't a meteor that destroyed your planet," the trembling alien explained, "it was Lord Frieza himself! He found the power of the Saiyans useful for his purposes, but when their strength started to threaten his own, he started to fear what they could do if they rose up against him...so he destroyed the planet, and the entire Saiyan race!"

"WHAT?!" Vegeta exclaimed, mouth agape.

"But please, don't take it personally-!" Dodoria tried to explain, as if realizing his mistake. "Lord Frieza did decide to spare your life, and keep you around! He could've just had you killed!"

"You misunderstand," the prince snapped back. "I don't give a damn about that! I no longer care about my planet, my father, or my race! What I'm mad about...is how I've simply sat around and let myself be ordered around by your ilk for so long!"

The anger radiating off Vegeta could almost be felt; and his ki began to spike with wild emotion. Cherri gasped, watching as Dodoria took off and tried to flee. Vegeta stayed where he stood, however, never taking his eyes off of Dodoria even as he grew further and further away in the distance. The Saiyan lowered himself as he bent at the knees and threw his hands forward, cupping in his palms a flickering sphere of ki that grew larger and larger as he fed more of his concentrated energy into it. Finally, the ball ruptured and burst into a wave so bright the girl had to cover her eyes for a moment to shield them from the flash. The beam crackled and thundered as it enveloped Dodoria's spiny body, but by the time the sounds dimmed to a dull roar and the light cleared, there was nothing left of the alien that once hung there in the sky.

"...Hmph...so that was Frieza's proud elite, huh?" the Saiyan scoffed to himself, watching the dust flutter down to the ground below. "So my power _has_ increased...yes, very good!" For a moment the Prince of All Saiyans stood there gloating, a wide grin on his face. But then, he started to glance back over his shoulder - in Cherri's direction. "Wait a minute," he pondered to himself, "I still feel a power level nearby…"

It was only then that Cherri realized, rapt in her attention of the battle, that she had neglected to hide her power level. She yelped - if Vegeta had just obliterated one of Frieza's elite, the same one who had come to close to killing her not even an hour before, and with such ease, what would that mean for her? The Prince was gaining on her now, and she knew that any sudden movements to flee would've been suicidal. Then there was only one thing left for her to do. Without any choice, Cherri would have to stand and fight.

The girl jumped down from the ledge, facing down Vegeta. Seeing her made the blue-suited Saiyan grow tense, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth. "You-!" They both exclaimed in tandem, Vegeta more surprised than angry. "Are you thinking you can humiliate me again!? Frankly, I'm shocked you've even survived this long on Namek!"

Just speaking to Vegeta made Cherri's heart start to pound faster in her chest, while her hand coiled into a tense and shaking fist. The memories flashed through her head, of how the last time the two of them had strewn too close, Piccolo had fallen. Cherri didn't want to linger on it for long enough to recall all the details; it was too painful. She sniffled and a tear started to bud at the corner of her eye, but she quickly shook her head. This wasn't the time. Now, she had to be strong.

"I'll never forgive you for what you did!" she yelled back at Vegeta. "I...I'll kill you!" Cherri wanted to feel like she was being intimidating, summoning all the fury she could find within herself, but it didn't seem to be having much of an effect on Vegeta, who watched her with his arms crossed. The woman paused, almost as if he reminded her of something. He turned up his nose with a smirk, taking pleasure in the thought that she was among the few people he could properly look down upon.

"You should count yourself lucky that you've found me in a good mood," he scoffed. "Go ahead, why don't you? Hit me with the biggest thing you've got! You may think you're strong, but I'll show you how much more powerful I've become!"

Letting loose a bestial howl, Cherri charged forward at Vegeta, throwing her elbow out forward and aimed for his gut. Time seemed to slow down around her, enough to hear the wind rush by her ears and feel it against her face as she lowered her head and gathered the force behind the strike. She was determined to make it hit as hard as she could, to make sure that it was just what the Saiyan had dared her to do. But as she drew near, Vegeta hopped back, turning out of her path to let her skid by. She barely managed to dig her heels into the ground at the last second, thinking quickly and sending up a trail of dust in her wake, to avoid falling over.

"I'm sorry?" Vegeta taunted from behind her. "I said, HIT ME!"

Turning back to see where her opponent stood, Cherri jumped up off of one foot and swung herself through the air to aim a roundhouse kick towards the prince's side. She could almost feel the impact against her foot even before the blow landed, but once again, Vegeta managed to dodge away. Now, the young woman was truly getting angry. She knew that he was mocking her, and it only made her desire even more to see herself pounding his face into the dirt. Once again she rushed towards Vegeta, this time raising her fists to punch at him. One arm flung forward after the other, barely giving one hand time to relax before the other flew back out, but Vegeta raised his own forearms to block her attacks, keeping time expertly with every motion she made. As the two relentlessly pressed onward, Vegeta was pushed back towards the cliff behind him, the smirk on his face never even flinching for a moment.

"Your technique is all so predictable," he admonished. "You're starting to bore me with this beginner-level trash!"

"Well, what about THIS!?" Cherri howled at the top of her lungs, suddenly kicking out with her knee and driving it straight for Vegeta's stomach; in his confidence, he had let down his guard. She heard a dull thud as her blow landed against his breastplate - not enough to do much damage to him, but it seemed that Vegeta's pride was hurt more than his body as he stood in shock, bending over and clutching his gut. "You...you hit me! You actually-!" He panted, eyes wide.

"Wasn't that what you just told me to do!?" Cherri called back.

"I didn't - you can't actually have POSSIBLY hit me!"

"Oh, I'm not done!" the girl shouted back, hopping back on her heels and taking off higher into the air, as she drew on the energy inside her, bringing out a shining sphere of crackling light into the palm of her hand. Her choice of attack was quite carefully planned. Vegeta would soon see that she intended to turn the same techniques she had learned from his former companion against him.

"BOMBER DX!" She shouted, throwing the ball down towards the ground below. Vegeta tried to get out of the way, throwing his body over to the side to dodge the path of the incoming projectile, but what he managed was too late. An explosion rippled up from where the blast landed, belching clouds of smoke and fire high into the green skies and sending a low rumble through the rocky cliffs around them. The cliff face started to shake, with loose stones tumbling down to the ground. Vegeta sat on the singed grass, clutching his head and panting as he tried to pull himself back to his senses.

"I'm not here to play games!" Cherri barked at him as she went to land before him.

"Games!?" The anger was rising in Vegeta's voice, climbing to the intensity with which she spoke. "I'm not playing any more games, you foolish girl! I've HAD IT with this!"

Vegeta drew his arm to the side, crossing it over his chest as he charged a sphere of ki in his hand. A glowing ball appeared in his palm, and he whipped his arm forward as he let it loose as though pitching a baseball. Seeing it coming close, Cherri acted fast, channeling ki into her palm, which seemed to harden and grow tougher with the energy buffering it as her hand glowed with a reddish aura. She swung her hand out in a chopping motion, deflecting the blast straight into another nearby boulder. But Vegeta sent back a few more shots, gaining on Cherri from all directions. The girl tried to deflect the next one, but she couldn't keep up with the shots, and they found their mark in her side, the impact leaving a burning pain where it landed. Cherri let out a shrill scream, thrown back and skidding against the ground with the force of the blasts buffeting her, and fell to one knee.

"I'm through playing around!" Vegeta said, holding his hand out once more as a force of sparking purple energy gathered between his fingers. He channeled it into a narrow stream as he charged it more and more, the glow washing over his face with an ominous violet light before starting to radiate out around him in a vibrant aura. "I'm ending this! GALLICK...GUN!" he loosed from his lungs, letting the beam fly out from his fingers straight for where Cherri kneeled.

But Cherri saw Vegeta powering up his attack, and she knew what was to come. Vegeta was so enraptured by his own technique that he wouldn't even pay any heed to how Cherri was holding her own hands out in front of her, bracing for impact. As the beam flew towards her, in that one split-second, she reached outward to catch the shot in her hands, containing the glow. Cherri's teeth grit as she tried to fight her way through the burning pain that lit up her palms, but she was gathering as much energy as she could, feeding into the steadily growing beam with her own ki. Finally, she shoved straight back at Vegeta, and the beam went along with her force, flying for the very man who had used it in the first place. Vegeta barely had time to brace himself before the beam struck him in the chest with so great a force he was swept off his feet and thrown with it into the next cliff face, as though he had been struck by a charging rhinoceros. With such force behind it as that, it seemed that it was only Vegeta's armor that kept the blast from cutting straight through his heart.

While the prince slid down from the rocks with a scattering of dust in his wake, Cherri took off towards him, picking her feet off the ground and propelling herself along with the force of her ki behind her. She landed in front of Vegeta, glaring down at him as he panted for breath and tried to pick himself up to his feet.

"My...my own special technique…" Vegeta coughed. "I'm...I'm impressed that you could even perform something like that-!"

Hearing such praise coming from the mouth of Vegeta, of all people, shocked Cherri, who had to blink a few times to even make herself certain that she heard him right. "W-What!?" She stammered.

The Saiyan put a hand behind his back, bracing himself off the side of the cliff as he got to his feet. He saw the opportunity with Cherri dazed, and he dashed forward, plowing his shoulder into the unsuspecting human, who toppled straight onto her back with a thud, landing in the grass. Vegeta was quick to throw himself on top of her, pressing his weight down against her body as he balled his hands into fists and swung punch after punch into her face, each blow knocking her head from side to side. She took several hits before she could think clearly through the initial surprise, and forcing her own body over to the side, caught one of Vegeta's legs between her own to roll him onto his back in turn, where she too lay into him with fists flying. The two exchanged blows freely, never even thinking of the pain they felt with each one that landed, only on making their impact felt.

Vegeta grabbed for Cherri's fist, his trembling hand tightening around hers as he fought to push it away, his elbow digging into the ground at his side. In response, she, in turn grabbed his wrist with her free hand, and focused on channeling her ki through her fingers and into the target she clutched with the force she would summon if she was clinging to a ledge for dear life itself. A few sparks jumped between her fingers as her hand lit up with a glow, the energy surging upwards from her knuckles. Vegeta howled with pain as the burning power of Cherri's ki bit into his flesh, and he reeled back, his back arching up off the ground as the sensation grew to a point he could bear no more. Finally summoning the strength, the prince kicked his leg up and slammed his knee into Cherri's side with enough force to send her toppling back from him and rolling onto her side, her chest rising and falling as she tried to get the air back in her lungs.

Still sore from the punishment he had endured, Vegeta started to pick himself up off the ground, glancing back at Cherri where she lay after brushing the dust off the front of his armor. From beneath his choked, hoarse pants, the Saiyan warrior spoke a few words in his tired and raspy voice. "...Impressive for an Earthling."

"What!? How dare you-!" Cherri's face turned as red as her hair at the comment, the shock great enough to get her to hop back up to her feet. She stood staring at Vegeta blankly with wide eyes. Was that a compliment or an insult?

"You've tested my strength, and while it hardly compares to the power I wield...it's worth thinking twice about." He paused for a moment before glancing behind him, then back at the girl. "I hope that you won't disappoint me the next time our paths cross. Right now, though...I've better things to do than keep playing with you."

Vegeta turned and took off into the distance, leaving Cherri behind, rubbing her head, which started pounding as she wore off the adrenaline rush that had carried her. She grimaced, starting to feel the bruises their battle had left, and she clutched her side in an attempt to rub the soreness away from her ribs. All the while, though, Vegeta's words were echoing in her mind. Just what had he meant? Cherri spat at the ground a moment before she took off in her own direction back to the cave she'd started in. Whatever he meant, she didn't care. She resolved to kill him herself, and that's what she was going to do, no matter what.


End file.
